Frozen: The Memoirs of Elsa the Snow Queen
by TariaNalu
Summary: We all know the story of Anna, and how she saved Arendelle from an eternal winter by reconciling with her sister. But what about Elsa's side of the story? What was she experiencing throughout all this? Here we have the beloved tale of Anna and Elsa, told from the point-of-view of the Snow Queen herself. Because sometimes, two people can view the same story in very different ways.
1. Introduction

Have you ever learned something about yourself that set you apart from everyone else? Something that you had to store into the deepest, darkest corner of your heart, for fear of what others would say if they found out? Or perhaps you were forced, at one time or another, to push away a person you loved. Perhaps it was for their own good, but maybe they just didn't see it that way. Or maybe you had someone whose love you valued more than anything else, and you ended up losing them to something you could have prevented. If you've experienced any of these, I can relate. I know what you're going through, because I've been there and back again. The good news is, things get better. Things will always get better. This is one reason why I am writing this. To whoever reads this, whenever you're reading this, I simply want to send a message. As long as you continue loving the people who matter most to you, you will never lose hope. Because when you love someone, and they love you back, then no matter how badly your life turns out, no matter how many mistakes you might make, things will always get better.

Oh, but how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. Hello, my name is Elsa. I am the queen of a small kingdom known as Arendelle. If you happen to be reading this, chances are you have heard of my sister, Anna, and the wonderful things she accomplished. Yes, everyone knows the story of my sister, and how she saved Arendelle from an eternal winter by sacrificing her very life to save her dear sister (that would be me). The tale has spread fast around my small kingdom, and even to other nations. As of now, the entire world knows of my sister's exploits. I couldn't be happier for her; she has become a worldwide celebrity. But there's another side to all this; namely, my own reputation. With fame comes gossip. Especially when you're born with a gift as rare and dangerous as mine. Elsa the Witch, some people call me. Elsa the Sorceress. The wicked queen who unleashed an eternal winter upon her kingdom, and froze her sister's heart. This is another reason why I write here; I want to put an end to these rumors, so that people could understand who I really was when it all happened. Not a malicious, wicked witch who cursed her kingdom, but a scared, misunderstood young woman, afraid of the world and the evils it held.

As I mentioned earlier, I was born with a gift. A strange and powerful gift that, for the longest time, I had been viewing as a curse. This is the story of how I turned that curse into a blessing. This is my story. The story of Elsa the Snow Queen.


	2. Winter Wonderland

I was awoken by the sound of her voice.

"Elsa," she whispered into my ear, "Psst." I groaned. Maybe if I didn't say anything, she wouldn't bother me. But if there was one thing I knew about my little sister, it was that she was incredibly stubborn. Not deterred in the slightest by my unresponsiveness, she climbed onto my bed and sat right on top of me. "Elsa! Psst!" she continued, bouncing up and down, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

I sighed and gave up pretending. "Anna, go back to sleep," I said, looking drowsily up at her with one eye. What time was it, anyway? Our bedroom was still dark, illuminated only by the moonlight that shone through the large, triangular window.

Not giving up, Anna rolled onto her back, still on top of me. I felt my breath being pressed out of me. For a little girl, she was surprisingly heavy. "I just can't," she said in a dramatic voice, "The sky's awake, so I'm awake. So we have to _play."_ I smiled to myself. Even at this late hour, my five-year old sister was still full of life, full of energy. Even though I was only three years older than her, I wasn't quite as lively as she was.

This was becoming a bit of a routine for her. Just a few months earlier, she had started getting in the habit of waking me up each morning, asking me to play (with varied success). Eventually, as the days passed by, she started waking up earlier and earlier, wanting to play for longer before Mama and Papa woke up. But this was just plain ridiculous; the last time she had woken me up, it was around seven o'clock. Now, the sun wasn't even up yet, and she was acting like it was the most normal thing in the world to be up at this hour.

"Go play by yourself," I replied jokingly, gently pushing her off the bed. I heard her land on the floor with a slight _thud._ And then, silence. For a while, I thought she gave up. Again, I learned how stubborn she could be when she climbed back onto my bed and resumed her sitting position right on top of me. She put her warm hand on my face and forced my eyelid open. Looking me right in the eye, she asked with a sly grin, "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

A smile spread across my face. She always knew how to get me.

Fifteen minutes later, I found myself running down the castle's moonlit hallways, Anna pulling me enthusiastically by the hand. Our stifled laughter was the only sound that echoed throughout the otherwise silent hall. "Come on! Come on!" she yelled repeatedly. I had to remind her to keep quiet, in case we wake up our parents. But even as I tried to calm her down, I could barely keep my own voice under an excited whisper. By the time we reached the large doorway that led to the Great Hall, Anna was practically jumping up and down with excitement. We burst through the doors and ran into the room, giggling.

"Do the magic! Do the magic!" Anna pleaded.

Laughing, I brought my hands together and concentrated. A familiar icy feeling formed in my chest, spreading up my arms and into my hands. Suddenly, a gorgeous pattern of glowing snowflakes appeared around my hands, swirling in the air. "Oooh," Anna said, as her big, expressive eyes glowed in wonder, reflecting the light from the magic. She stared at the swirling waves of magic with wide eyes, like she was seeing them for the first time, though she had already witnessed my ability several times. She never got tired of it, I guess.

"Ready?" I asked in a near whisper. Anna nodded eagerly as I concentrated my shimmering creation into a snowball, which I then threw up as high as I could. The snowball traveled higher and higher, leaving a beautiful trail of glowing, blue snowflakes behind it. When the snowball touched the ceiling, it exploded in all directions with a satisfying _poof_, causing a twinkling flurry of snow to fall upon the room. Anna jumped around in near euphoria, catching snowflakes on her tongue.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed, hopping around. I smiled, happy to see my sister having so much fun. And then I remembered that trick that I discovered a few months earlier.

"Watch this," I said, lifting my skirt just enough to show my foot. Anna watched, her mouth open in surprise, as I stomped my slippered foot onto the marble floor. Immediately, a layer of ice formed on the spot where I set my foot, spreading throughout the Great Hall's floor. Soon enough, the entire room was a giant skating rink. Anna slid around, laughing.

We spent a good deal of the night playing in the winter wonderland I created. At one point, I created a snowman - a favorite activity of mine. "Hi," I said in a goofy voice, standing behind my creation as Anna sat on our father's royal throne, laughing, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" Anna wrapped her tiny arms around the snowman, which stood a good two inches above her.

"I love you, Olaf!" she squealed, burying her round face in the snowman's cold body.

I still remember that night, and the many fun activities we did. I remember having a snowball fight with her (in which I defeated her quite soundly, as per usual), and ice skating with her and Olaf the snowman, using my magic powers to propel the three of us around the ice. I also remember sliding down a high snowbank with her. She put her hands up and screamed excitedly as we slid down the white slope. When we reached the end of the slide, she jumped off my lap, squealed, and landed face-first on a large pile of snow. She got up, giggling, and jumped off the snow pile.

Both she and I were unaware that this innocent little action would eventually trigger a chain of events that would come to ruin me for the next few years.

"Catch me!" she said, laughing.

"Hang on!" I replied as I cast another wave of magic, forming another pile of snow beneath her. She landed on it, then jumped off without a second thought. I created another pile of snow to catch her, and she bounded off that one as well.

Soon, I was having trouble keeping up with her. "Again! Again!" she repeated, jumping from pile to pile.

"Slow down!" I said, trying desperately to create new peaks of snow to catch her. But she was going too fast. When she leaped off a particularly high peak, I lost my footing and slipped on the icy floor, my breath being knocked out of me as I landed on my rear. I watched helplessly as Anna, still laughing innocently, began to fall.

"Anna!" I yelled, reaching out to form a cushion of snow. But when I extended my hand, the magic I summoned missed its target completely; instead of hitting the ground, forming a cushion for her to land on, it hit her head in midair, causing her laughter to end abruptly. She landed with a horrifying _thud _on a snowbank below, completely motionless. I froze in place, horrified at what I just did.

_Oh no,_ I thought to myself, desperately wishing I could undo my mistake, _what've I done?_ Quickly, I ran towards my unconscious sister and dropped to my shaking knees. I scooped her frail, delicate body into my arms and almost immediately noticed that she was getting paler. _No, no, no..._ My breathing grew shallow as I saw that a streak of her strawberry-red hair turned ice white. _I'm sorry, Anna,_ I wanted to say, feeling my breathing grow heavier. _It was all my fault. I couldn't save you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..._ Instead, all that came out was stunned silence, and a numbing pain in my chest. I gazed through blurred eyes at her waxen face, which, a few minutes earlier, was full of life and happiness. Unable to handle the intense guilt, I became overcome with emotion and broke down, letting my tears fall over Anna's ice-cold, comatose body.

* * *

I held my sister for an unknown amount of time, wallowing in my own grief. Some time later, I snapped back to my senses and called for help. "Mama! Papa!" I screamed, my eyes still wet with tears. My desperate cries echoed around the castle halls for a while, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing towards the Great Hall. I never took my eyes off my sister. "You're okay, Anna," I said to her, "I've got you..." Was she going to make it? The winter playground I had created a while ago began to fall apart. Olaf the snowman crumbled to pieces. Layers of ice started crystallizing involuntarily around the room. I now realize that that was the very first time I had lost control of my powers. It would happen many more times in the future.

Immediately, my parents burst into the Great Hall, frantic with worry. They gasped as they eyed the scene that presented itself before them - a grand hall, filled with snowy structures that were quickly falling apart. A layer of opaque, white ice was quickly spreading around the room, reflecting my growing panic. And in the middle of it all, I knelt on the ground, my little sister lying motionless in my arms.

Now that I think about it, that was the very first time I showed my power in its full strength to my parents. Don't get me wrong, they knew I had magical abilities. Even when I was a baby, my parents said that I would form a small layer of frost on my toys as I played with them, oblivious and happy as a toddler could be. But ever since rumors of a sorceress in the magic family started spreading around the town, Papa urged me to keep my abilities under wraps. And that was the first time I ever felt ashamed of my powers. This was the second.

"Elsa, what have you done?" Papa demanded, rushing towards me, "This is getting out of hand!" I tried to fight back my tears. _But I didn't mean to do it!_ I wanted to say. Instead, I stayed kneeling on the ground, frozen in fear and worry.

"Anna!" Mama cried, distraught with worry. She ran over to me and took my sister's cold body from my arms.

"It was an accident!" I pleaded, looking up at Papa. I turned my gaze towards my sister, lying like a ragdoll in Mama's arms. "I'm sorry, Anna."

"She's ice cold," Mama remarked, probably not listening to me. She looked at Papa in desperation, clearly unsure what to do.

Papa's brow furrowed in deep thought. "I know what we have to do," he stated, "Idun, get the horses ready. And Elsa..." He paused and looked at me with an unreadable expression. But I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I was so ashamed. Finally, he spoke, "Come with me." I nodded, and hurried behind Papa obediently.

As I followed Papa down the wanly moonlit hall, Mama went over to rouse the servants and order them to prepare the horses. "Papa?" I asked, holding my hand to my chest in shame, "where are we going?" He didn't answer. Instead, as we entered the dark library, he raced to a dusty shelf, full of very old books that Anna and I were never allowed to touch. He hastily shifted through them and pulled out a brown, leather-bound tome. He flipped frantically through the book's pages, stopping when he reached a page that showed some sort of ancient map. Papa studied the old page, the anxiety clearly building in his eyes as he traced his finger across the yellowed paper.

"This is where we have to go," he hurriedly muttered as he tapped a green patch on the map. I looked over the table's edge, standing on my tiptoes. In the darkness that surrounded me, I struggled to clearly make out the spot on the map where his finger rested. The name of the place was written in some language that I couldn't understand.

"Where is it?" I asked, unable to read the map. Instead of answering, my father put a gloved hand on my back and led me towards the castle gates.

"You'll see when we get there. Now, come with me, Elsa."


	3. The Trolls

Next thing I knew, I was with my father on a horse, galloping at top speed under a bright autumn moon. Mama was on her own horse right beside us, with Anna safe in her arms. The sound hooves hitting stone echoed sharply throughout the serene night. I didn't know where we were going, or how long it would take for us to get there. All I knew was that we had to save Anna, and as quickly as possible. All the while, I fought a losing battle against my emotions, trying my best to be strong for Anna.

At our urgent speed, our trip only took five minutes, though it felt like hours. We finally stopped at a small valley. Round stones were scattered all over the rocky landscape. I looked around to see if there was any life in the area, but not a single person was in sight. The horses' heavy panting was the only sound that broke the deafening silence. Up in the sky, the Northern Lights put on their nightly show, formless green shapes that shifted aimlessly across the darkness, giving the night sky an eerie, green glow.

Papa helped me off the horse and held my hand as we hurriedly made our way down a rocky ledge. Mama hastened behind us, holding Anna in her arms. When we made our way to the bottom, Papa called out to no one in particular, "Help! My daughter!" For an uncomfortable five seconds, there was absolute silence. I looked around in desperation, hoping someone would come help us. Why did Papa bring us here? Anna was getting worse by the second, and there was no one around to help us. Then, I heard a low, rumbling sound. I whipped my head around and noticed that the round stones were moving towards us..._by themselves._ Fearful, I scooted closer to Papa as the rocks surrounded our family.

"Papa?" I whispered as they rolled ever closer to us.

Before the stones could reach us, though, they stopped in their tracks and, to my surprise, unfolded themselves, transforming into these...creatures. They were tiny, with rock-hard, gray skin, stubby limbs, and bright, expressive faces. In my dazed state, it took me a while to recognize them, but when I did, it took all I had to hold back a gasp. _Trolls,_ I thought to myself, _they're trolls_. I had only seen them in my old mythology books; I never knew they were real. I stared at them, fascinated and scared at the same time. I wondered how Papa knew of their existence, or how they could possibly help Anna.

Meanwhile, the trolls curiously gathered around the four of us, likely wondering what the royal family was doing in their humble valley. Then the crowd parted, and an older troll, who the others referred to as "Grand Pabbie," came forth. He wore an outfit of moss and glowing yellow crystals, and had a mane of grass, which I could only guess identified him as the chief.

"Your Majesty," the old troll said in a gruffy voice, bowing ever so slightly. Then he turned to me. His eyes had a strange mixture of kindness and seriousness in them. "Born with the powers, or cursed?" he asked Papa, still looking at me.

"Born," Papa quickly replied, "and they're getting stronger."

Pabbie then turned to Mama. She bent down, allowing him to examine Anna. I watched nervously as Mama and Papa left Anna's safety in Pabbie's hands. He put a hand on my sister's head and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Then he opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "You are lucky it wasn't her heart," Pabbie remarked after scrutinizing my sister, "The heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded." I didn't quite know what that meant. I only wanted him to save my sister.

"Do what you must," Papa responded solemnly.

Pabbie put a rocky hand on Anna's forehead. "I recommend we remove all magic, even memories of magic, to be safe," he stated. Suddenly, a small, glowing cloud appeared from Anna's head. It displayed pictures of the two of us playing together. Her memories, probably? "But don't worry," he continued, "I'll leave the fun." Instantly, the memories depicted in the cloud began to change. Pictures of me and Anna playing in an indoor winter playground were changed to show of the two of us playing out in the snow instead, like ordinary children. Many other memories involving my powers were also changed into "ordinary" memories. When the change was complete, Pabbie replaced the newly altered memories back into Anna's head, and a small smile made its way onto her face, which had already regained some of its color. She remained unconscious, however, and the ice-white streak in her hair stayed ever-present.

"She will be okay," Pabbie remarked, a note of compassion in his voice. Papa and Mama exchanged looks of relief.

There was just one problem, though. "But she won't remember I have powers?" I asked.

"It's for the best," Papa responded in a comforting tone. My heart fell at the news. To Anna, I would just be an ordinary child, no longer her sister with the special powers. All those times we spent playing in the Great Hall would be forgotten. At least she would also forget about my terrible mistake. She would never know that I nearly killed her. I allowed myself to be slightly comforted by the thought.

Pabbie turned once again to me. "Listen to me, Elsa," he began, "your power will only grow." As he spoke, he waved his arms. In response, the sky itself displayed strange lights, forming stunning patterns and designs. Pabbie continued speaking. "There is great beauty in your magic." He controlled the lights in the sky so that they showed an adult woman - me? - creating beautiful, blue snowflakes. I marveled at the intricate magnificence displayed by the lights in the sky. "But also great danger," he finished his sentence as the snowflakes burst into red spikes. I gasped as I stared at the threatening lights with wide eyes. "You must learn to control it," Pabbie further stated, as the lights in the sky showed the woman from before surrounded by two more figures. They, too, seemed to be afraid of the red spikes. "Fear will be your enemy," he finished, as the figures, panicking, attacked the woman in a flash of red light. I swore I heard a woman's screaming echoing throughout the night. I gasped and hugged Papa, not wanting to watch any more. Was that really going to be my fate? I thought back to the incident in the castle, after I hit Anna. Ice had formed on the walls without my own control. Would I really lose control of my powers in the future? Papa wrapped his arms around me protectively. He stayed in deep thought for a while. I sobbed silently, soaking Papa's coat with my tears.

"No," he said unwaveringly to Pabbie, having made a decision, "we'll protect her. She can learn to control it, I'm sure." He turned to Mama. "Until then, we'll lock the gates. We'll reduce the staff. We will limit her contact with people and keep her powers hidden away from everyone...including Anna."

I flinched away from Papa, visibly hurt by his decision. Was that really what he had in store for me? Seclusion in my room? How long was I going to be cut off from the world? From Anna? Then Papa turned to me, his expression softening. He knelt down and put a hand on my shoulder. "Elsa, please understand," he said, seeing the pain in my eyes, "it's only temporary. I promise, there will be a day when you will be able to control your powers. Until then, can you try your best to control them?"

Despite the tears welling up in my eyes, and the realization that I was going to spend a good deal of my life all alone, I only nodded submissively and responded, "Yes, Papa."


	4. The Last Day of Freedom

After our encounter with the trolls, we rode back to the castle in silence. Anna remained unconscious in Mama's arms. There seemed to be a look of comfort on my sister's face, like she was just asleep and dreaming - something pleasant, perhaps. As the horses continued sauntering at a relaxed pace, I sat quietly in Papa's lap, thinking about the future. His words rung clearly in my head. _We will limit her contact with people and keep her powers hidden from everyone...including Anna._ I tried to imagine my life like that; alone, separated from the world for who knows how long. The word "isolation" came to mind often. I didn't yet realize just how badly the next few years were going to affect me, but I was nonetheless deathly afraid of what I had in store.

When we arrived at the castle gates, a whole team of servants poured outside, concerned and wondering why the royal family would be going out at this hour. In hushed tones, they tended to the four of us, asking Papa if he needed anything. With a tired sigh and a wave of the hand, he dismissed them, allowing them to return to their sleeping quarters. This matter concerned our family only; there was no need for anyone else to be involved.

The four of us went straight to Anna's and my room. Through the large, single window, I could barely make out the subtle traces of dawn, a faint line of pink that lined the mountainous, silhouetted horizon, contrasting with the vast, navy-blue sky, still full of stars. Mama and Papa carefully laid Anna on her bed as I climbed onto my own. I pulled the covers over myself, holding them close to comfort myself, and rolled onto my side, making sure to hide my face from my parents. Without a word, they walked out the room and closed the door behind them, leaving me to wallow in my own shame.

The following morning (or later that morning, I suppose), I heard Anna groan softly, sit up, and yawn. I kept my eyes glued to the wall beside me, away from Anna, as she dropped out of bed. I heard her slippered feet hit the wooden flooring as she drew closer to me. As I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep, she tapped my back repeatedly, back to her usual habit.

"Elsa," she whispered, "Hey, Elsa! Psst!"

"Yes, Anna?" I replied, my voice somber.

"Are Mama and Papa awake yet? Come on, let's play outside! It's really sunny."

I sat up and looked at her. Her face was full of innocent hope, completely oblivious to the previous night's events. Yet, something was different about the way she looked at me. The childlike wonder that often showed itself in her eyes was gone. To her, I was just an ordinary older sister, no longer the girl with the magic powers. I turned my head away from her, fighting a losing battle against freshly formed tears. "No, Anna," I said slowly, "I don't think I can play today."

* * *

"Elsa," Papa said as he sat at his desk. Beside him, Mama stood, tall and regal like a true queen, but with a clearly downcast expression on her face. I sat on the couch, hugging my knees for comfort. Beside me, the fireplace flickered, struggling to stay alive. It cast ominous shadows all over the library's walls.

Papa sighed and paused for a while, staring at his mahogany desk. His brow furrowed in - what was it? Deep thought? Frustration? Perhaps both. Whatever it was, I knew it couldn't be good. Both he and I were at a loss for words; me huddled up nervously on the couch, him hunched over at his desk. Both of us were silent, an unspoken tension hanging in the air.

Mama broke the silence. "Elsa," she said, "you don't have to be afraid. We're not mad at you. Now, why don't you tell us what happened?"

I sighed and looked up at them. They stared back at me expectedly, waiting for an answer. After taking a deep breath, I explained everything - Anna waking me up past midnight, the two of us playing out in the Great Hall, me accidentally hitting her with my powers. The memory of that night played itself vividly in my head as I spoke, like I was reliving the painful experience all over again.

When I finished explaining myself, Papa stared at me for a while, resting his chin on his clasped hands. Finally, he said, "Thank you for being honest. Is there anything else you want to say?"

"I'm sorry, Papa."

"It's all right, Elsa. There's no need to dwell on what has already happened. The only thing we can do now is prevent such incidents from happening again."

I silently nodded, knowing full well what he meant. "Are you going to quarantine me?"

Despite the grim aura that hung over all of us, the edge of Papa's lips curled upwards in a smile. He was probably surprised that I knew that word. "Now, Elsa. Don't think of it like that. This isn't imprisonment. It's...a private lesson. Like the ones your tutor gives you. I'll show you how to keep your powers under wraps. But to do that, we need a certain level of privacy." He sighed and got up from his desk, walking to the window as he clasped his hands behind his back. "This is partly my fault, you know. I should have known that your powers would grow stronger as you grew older. I never taught you how to control them...until it was too late." He turned towards me. "This is only temporary, please remember. And when it's all finished, your life will be back to normal. I promise, Elsa." Mama smiled at me, silently agreeing with everything Papa said.

"So what's going to happen, then?" I asked, hearing the worry in my own voice.

"For starters, you're going to have your own room. I'm sorry, but you cannot be alone with Anna while your powers are out of control like this. I...I can't let something like that happen again." He sighed and bowed his head, sitting back down at his desk. I shook my head imperceptibly, trying to imagine myself sleeping at night without my sister's comforting presence across the room. Then he continued, "You will no longer take lessons from your tutor. Your mother will become your instructor from now on. I can't allow anyone to enter your room, except your mother and I." I winced at the news. Did he really think of me like that? Like a monster, hurting everyone near me? He continued speaking, "And me, well...I'll show you how to control your powers. I may never know what it's like to struggle with such a dark secret, but I'll do my best to help you through it, Elsa."

"And what about Anna?"

"What about her?"

"Won't I be able to see her again?"

Papa sighed and put his head in his hands, not knowing how to word his response. Instead, Mama spoke up, her voice soft and careful. "Oh, Elsa. Listen to me. I'm afraid we just can't let you see your sister while this is going on. It's too dangerous, and she's still very young. And she has no memory of your...abilities. Your father and I think it's better that it stays this way. Just remember, it's only temporary. You'll be able to see her again in a few weeks, if you follow our instructions carefully. Do you understand, Elsa?"

I nodded silently, though deep inside, I was screaming in agony.

* * *

I trudged out of the library with dragging footsteps, my spirits lower than ever. Somehow, I knew that I would be spending more than just a few weeks shut in my room. How was I ever going to cope? As soon as I closed the door behind me, I came face-to-face with Anna, her hands clasped behind her back as a wide smile permeated her face. How long had she been waiting there?

"Hi Elsa!" she chirped, "What were you doing in there? You sure took a while."

I avoided her gaze. "It's nothing, Anna."

"You okay?"

"Yes, Anna. I'm fine."

"You wanna go outside and play now?"

I allowed a sad smile to creep onto my face, taking in the sight of her bubbly, innocent grin. One that I wouldn't be seeing for a long time. "I'm sorry Anna," I replied slowly, "I still can't. Not for a while."

Anna opened her mouth to ask a question when I heard the door open behind me. Then came Papa's voice. "Elsa, what are you doing?" he asked, taking me by the hand. He led me down the hallway, away from Anna. Papa whispered in my ear, "I told you to stay away from her. I'm sorry Elsa, but I can't risk you losing control again. And Anna cannot know about your secret. Do you understand?" I silently nodded, still looking back at Anna, a confused expression on her face as she stood by herself.

Later that day, I sat on the carpeted floor, my back against the wall, hugging my knees tightly against my chest. Papa had already shown me my new room, a spare room in the East Wing that was previously reserved for important guests. I was relocated to that specific room for a reason; this way, I would be as far away as possible from Anna, whose room was in the West Wing. I watched helplessly as a team of servants moved in and out of the unfamiliar bedroom, delivering all my things - furniture, clothes, toys, and books - into my new room, this prison in which I would spend all my time alone. I silently prayed that I wouldn't have to stay there for long. Finally, deciding that it was too depressing to watch them, I got up and left.

To be honest, I don't exactly remember everything I did that day. Everything passed by in a bit of a blur; I couldn't concentrate. Instead, I wandered aimlessly around the castle halls in a sort of dazed state. I ran my hand along the walls and tried to take everything in - the sights, sounds, and smells of the outside world. I remember meandering into the Great Hall and watching behind a pillar, horrified, as Papa fired dozens of servants on the spot without explanation. As soon as he finished, I ran out from behind my hiding place, teary-eyed, and asked him why he cut the castle's staff by nearly half. Some of those servants had been working in the palace for as long as I could remember; it was hard to see them go. Papa only smiled sadly and put a gloved hand on my shoulder.

"It's all part of our plan, Elsa," he said to me in a comforting tone, "We're hiding a very big secret from the public. In order to keep your powers under wraps, we need to have as few people as possible within the castle walls. It wasn't easy, but it had to be done." I could tell he was trying to make me feel better, but his words had the exact opposite effect. As I watched the poor servants in their rooms, miserably packing up their meager belongings, I kicked myself; it was my fault these people were being thrown out of their jobs.

That evening, Papa had the remaining servants prepare braised fish for supper - a personal favorite of mine. Perhaps he wanted me to enjoy my last family dinner before being shut away. But despite the delicious plate of food that lay in front of me, I found myself unable to eat. I only poked the buttered potatoes absentmindedly with my fork, mulling over the future. Everyone was silent as they ate, even the normally talkative Anna. Her innocent eyes darted from side to side as she took in the melancholy aura that hung over everyone.

If I had known this would be the last meal we would ever be sharing as a complete family, I would have at least tried to enjoy it more.

After we finished eating, Papa promptly sent me to my room. Without question, I bowed my head and excused myself, making the long, mournful journey down the rarely traveled East Wing. As I stood beneath the unfamiliar doorway to my new room, I found myself unable to enter. A small part of me said that once I enter the room, I would never come out. Just then, I heard the pitter-patter of Anna's tiny, slippered feet running down the hall.

"Elsa?" she called out. I turned around just in time to see her round the corner. She skidded to a stop as soon as she saw me, a look of confusion and worry on her face. She must have entered her room and noticed that all my things were gone. "Elsa?" she repeated. It was all she needed to say; her expression alone said the rest. _Why are you leaving? Please don't leave me, Elsa. I'll be all alone._

I wanted so badly to respond to her, to at least say one last good-bye before shutting her out completely. But she and I were alone; this was exactly the kind of situation Papa had told me to avoid. I couldn't even bring myself to look at her, especially while the white streak in her hair served as a constant reminder of the previous night's events. Without a word, I promptly slipped into my new room, leaving behind a very heartbroken Anna. I shared one last desperate glance with my sister - a silent cry for help - before closing the door and shutting her out completely.


	5. Beginnings, Part One

I still remember when I first met my little sister.

At the time, I was only three years old. Mama had been staying in her room for the past three days; I hadn't seen her since. In fact, strange things had already been happening before this. Her belly got really big for a few months, and then one day, she decided to just...shut herself in her room. Papa prevented me from seeing her, saying that she was terribly sick. Of course, being the age I was, I readily believed him, and I spent the next few days avoiding Mama's room. In that time, I made tiny, crudely made ice sculptures and asked Papa to give them to her, thinking they would make her feel better. Things continued like this for two more days. Then one day, Papa burst out of Mama's room, looking frantic. He rushed out of sight before I could ask him anything. Then, not a minute later, a frenzied crowd of women flooded into Mama's room without warning.

"Don't!" I pleaded to them, completely oblivious to what was really happening, "She's sick!" What were they going to do to her? I sat anxiously outside Mama's bedroom door. Being only three years old at the time, I had no clue what was going on in there. Minutes later, I heard screaming - Mama's screaming - coming from inside the bedroom door. She sounded like she was in terrible pain. I gasped and covered my ears as tears sprang to my eyes; I had never heard Mama scream in pain before. Whatever was going on in there must've been really painful. I don't quite remember how long I waited out there. But eventually, after what seemed like hours, the screaming stopped. And then...crying. Loud crying. But it wasn't Mama's. It sounded like...a baby? I carefully knocked on the door.

"Mama?" I asked through a fit of sobs, "Are you alright?"

A young servant, Gerda, opened the door ever so slightly, just wide enough for her to see who was on the other side. She looked at me with a shocked expression, as if she didn't expect me to be there. I craned my neck to see what was going on inside, but Gerda's frame prevented me from seeing anything.

"Oh Elsa," she said gently as she slipped out of the room, putting a slender hand on my head, "it's not yet time. I'll take you to your room, and we'll call you when _you-know-who _is ready to meet you!" As she hurriedly walked me to my room, I stared absentmindedly at the carpeted floor, replaying her words over and over in my head.

_It's not yet time?_ I thought, _Time for what? And who's "you-know-who?"_ But after Gerda dropped me off, she left before I had a chance to ask her anything. I spent the rest of the day waiting obediently in my room, creating miniature snowmen on my bed to pass the time.

The next morning, Papa woke me up. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were tinted pink, but there was a broad, unmistakable smile on his face. "Elsa, wake up," he told me. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up, stretching. The sun had barely risen; I could see the faint, orange light of dawn shining through the window. Papa knelt at my bedside, grinning from ear to ear. "Come with me. There's someone I'd like for you to meet." Shaking the tiredness from my eyes, I dropped out of my bed and scampered down the hallway alongside Papa, and burst into the master's bedroom.

Mama laid on the bed, and in her arms was a little bundle of blankets.

Mama smiled at me, though I noticed some dark rings under her eyes. Did she sleep at all last night? "Elsa," she said quietly, revealing the presence of a tiny baby among the blankets, "I want you to meet your younger sister, Anna!" Younger sister? I was going to have a younger sister? I couldn't believe it! I was going to have someone to play with!

"Um, Elsa?" Papa asked, seeing that I was frozen with surprise. Then I jumped in the air with excitement. "Hooray!" I squealed, "I have a younger sister!" Mama and Papa promptly shushed me in unison.

"The baby's sleeping," Mama whispered, pointing to the bundle of blankets she held against her chest.

"Hooray," I said in a softer tone, still grinning ear to ear. I went over to the side of the bed to get a closer look at my newborn sister, Anna. The baby was comfortably nestled in my mother's chest, fast asleep. Mama held the baby out, so I could see her delicate, fresh face.

"Hi there, Anna," I whispered, "I'm Elsa. I'm your older sister. We're gonna have so much fun together." Just then the baby woke up, yawned, and opened her big, blue eyes at me. "You're a princess, just like me!" I continued, "I bet you're thinking it's pretty cool, huh? But soon you'll see that people expect a lot from you." I leaned my head closer to her and giggled, whispering, "But you and me, we know better, don't we? I'll show you how to be a _real_ princess...like me!"

"Eh?" the baby responded.

"I'll be the best sister ever," I said to Mama and Papa as little Anna buried her face back in Mama's chest.


	6. Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?

Of course, I wasn't turning out to be a very good sister to Anna. As I lay tossing and turning in my bed, the previous night's incident replayed itself with harrowing clarity in my mind. It was incredibly hard to forget about it; the image of little Anna, laying cold and motionless on the ground, haunted my every thought. I don't know how long I lay awake in my bed, shifting uncomfortably. Hours seemed to pass before I managed to fall asleep. But even then, in the seemingly safe confines of slumber, vivid nightmares afflicted me, forcing me to relive every agonizing second of the previous night's events. At times, they showed me an alternate reality, one in which we were too late to save Anna. I would wake up frantically throughout the night, finding a layer of frost on my covers each time. Then I would uneasily go back to sleep, and the painful cycle would restart itself.

Seconds passed. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned into hours. And soon enough, the hours turned into days.

Autumn passed and winter took its place. The beautiful oranges and browns that decorated Arendelle gave way to whites and blues. All the while, I lived my life miserably confined in my room, never leaving once. By the time the first snowfall came, I still wasn't used to my new lifestyle. Mama and Papa would visit me occasionally. They would try to encourage me, and assure me that my current situation wouldn't last for long.

"I know you must be feeling lonely," Mama once said to me, "but before you know it, you'll be able to control your powers, and you'll be living a normal life again. Just a few weeks, Elsa. Then you'll be free." Despite her kindness, I somehow knew that her words weren't true.

Papa tried to teach me how to control my powers. He didn't know what it was like to have magical abilities like mine, but he tried his best to understand me and my problem. "Conceal it, don't feel it," he would say to me every day, "don't let it show." The phrase became my own personal maxim, my cardinal rule to live by. In hindsight, I realize that this philosophy - repressing my powers deep inside me - was only doing more harm than good. But to my young mind, it seemed like the most practical solution. The funny thing was, it actually worked for a while. My ability was safely kept under wraps. But even then, I could feel the ever-present icy feeling in my heart, practically begging to be released. It grew stronger with every passing day. I figured it was only a matter of time before I wouldn't be able to hold it back anymore.

* * *

My suspicions were all but confirmed early one morning, as the snow fell gently from the bright morning sky. That day, I was sitting on my bed, reading one of my storybooks. I was wholly immersed in the tale of Jack Frost when I heard the light pitter-patter of a certain someone's tiny feet approaching my door. My eyes slowly lifted from my book in disbelief as an all-too-familiar voice came from outside.

"Elsa?" said the person at my door. It had been ten whole days since I had heard the sound of her voice. It was like a breath of fresh air to me. My sister knocked on the door in her distinct, rhythmic manner. Before realizing what I was doing, I hopped off my bed, ready to answer.

She continued, "Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play!" Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks, halting to a complete standstill in the middle of the room. As she kept talking through the door, I found myself frozen in place. The last time she had asked me that question, things hadn't ended up very well for the both of us. I simply couldn't go out there and play with her; I knew, just as well as Mama and Papa, that if I did, I would only end up hurting her. I couldn't let that happen again. She may not end up as lucky as she did the last time I hit her with my magic. But at the same time, I knew that refusing to play would break her little heart. And after ten days of seclusion, I was longing to spend some time with my sister. What was I going to do?

_There's only one thing I can do,_ I thought to myself.

Anna continued speaking, her voice muffled by the wooden door. "Do you wanna build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman..."

I steeled myself. Then, before I had a chance to regret anything, I curtly said, "Go away, Anna." Each word cut deep into me like a knife. The effect was immediate. Even as I spoke those three words, tears sprung to my eyes. For a full second, a piercing silence hung between us. I could only imagine Anna's devastated face on the other side of the door.

"Okay, bye..." she finally said, her voice full of despondency. I heard her dragging footsteps slowly recede down the hallway. For a while, I only stood in place, immersed in my own guilt. Then, when I was certain no one could hear me, I ran to my bed and buried my face in my pillow, breaking down into tears.

* * *

That afternoon, I knelt on a bench by the window, looking outside longingly as Anna, far below, tried in vain to build a snowman by herself. Without me, she wasn't having much success; her creation was nothing more than a crude pile of snow with two crooked twigs sticking unevenly out of it. When it fell apart for the third time, she looked up and groaned in frustration, nearly catching sight of me at the window.

I wished, from the bottom of my heart, that I could step foot outside, at least once. After the day's episode with Anna, my spirits were feeling lower than ever. I felt the cold sensation in my heart escalate abruptly, but I paid no attention to it. A big mistake, on my part. As I put my hands on the windowsill, the feeling rapidly spread up my arms and into my hands. I gasped and drew my hands back as a thin layer of ice immediately materialized on the windowsill.

_No,_ I thought as I stared at the blue frost, _please, no_. _How could this happen?_ It was the first sign that I was losing control over my powers.

Later on, Papa visited my room and found me standing by the frozen window, ashamed. "Elsa?" he said, "What happened here?" Barely managing to hold back tears, I explained everything to him - how I had shunned Anna, and inadvertently froze the window just moments later.

"It was an accident!" I pleaded as I watched Papa walk over to the windowsill, "I didn't mean to do it. It just...happened." For a few agonizing seconds, Papa only stood in front of the window, carefully studying the sheet of ice I had created. Then he turned to me. I expected him to reproach me for losing control, but instead, his face was full of understanding.

"It's all right," he said, "it's not your fault. Now, come with me. I have something for you."

Despite the smile on his face, I still feared the worst. Was he going to punish me for losing control? Nonetheless, I obediently followed close behind him, and for the first time in ten days, I finally left my room. It felt like I had been gone for years; the usually busy hallways were quiet and empty, since many of our servants were now permanently gone. Papa led me into the library, where the fireplace was burning brightly. Unlike the cold, empty hall, the library seemed warm and inviting. It wasn't any less quiet, however. I watched as Papa walked over to his desk, reached into a drawer, and pulled out a pair of white gloves, similar to the ones he wore, but much smaller.

"Here," he said, "hold out your hand." I did as I was told, and he neatly slipped the glove over my cold fingers. "The gloves will help," he continued as he put the other one on my right hand. Immediately, I felt safer, like wearing the gloves was somehow helping me control my powers. Papa smiled ever so slightly. "See? Conceal it..."

"...don't feel it," I continued the phrase, all too familiar to me by now.

"Don't let it show," we finished in unison.


	7. A Life of Isolation

My life was quickly turning into a mess. But I carried on with my miserable existence, hopeful that I would be able to leave my room one day. I remembered what Mama had said to me in the library, before my days of confinement. A few weeks. That's what she had told me. I would be staying in my room for a few weeks. But as the days slipped between my fingers, I wasn't get any closer to learning how to control my powers. The days turned to weeks, and my hope began to wane. The weeks turned to months, and the months turned to years. I felt like one of those fairytale princesses in those storybooks Mama would read to me at night. Trapped in tall towers, forced to lead lives of solitude. I felt like I could relate to them. But at least they met with happy endings, being whisked away to freedom by handsome princes. I, on the other hand, saw no happy ending in sight. By the time I was twelve years old, I had already resigned myself to living the rest of my life in my room.

* * *

Even when I was a young child, I had always known that magic was a sensitive subject. Long before Anna was even born, Papa had asked me to keep my powers hidden from the public eye. The only people who were allowed to know of my abilities were my family and a select few servants. The reason for this secrecy could be traced back hundreds of years. People who were accused of having magic within them were often condemned by the masses, who thought of these so-called "witches" as unholy demons. Even today, some people still hold this mindset towards those who practice magic. For some reason, these magicians were always thought to have bad intentions, when in fact they were likely just frightened and misunderstood, having no one to turn to. The common people did everything in their power to rid the world of all those who practiced magic. More often than not, these "sorcerers" were promptly put to death and left unburied. This would explain why it is so hard to come across real magic these days; either the common people have succeeded in killing off all wielders of magic, or those who still practiced magic are too scared to come out. But no one would have suspected that someone in Arendelle's royal family - indeed, the heiress to the throne - was herself a so-called "magician," born with the ability to create ice and snow. Mama and Papa managed to keep my magic powers hidden from the public, political, and religious eye. They knew that if just one person caught wind of my secret, the news would spread like wildfire. And before they knew it, they would have lost their eldest daughter to an angry mob. That was why I was known to most as the ordinary-sounding "princess of Arendelle," and not "Elsa the Snow Queen" or something like that. And that was also why Papa decided to take his protectiveness of me one step further by keeping me in my room.

* * *

As the days slowly passed, my parents continued visiting me. They never gave up on me, even though I had already given up on myself more times than I cared to count. They constantly assured me that I would eventually be able to conceal my magic and live a normal life once more. I wished that I could share their optimism. But as the years came and went, I could see their hope slowly fade. Although they tried to be as encouraging as possible, I could see in their eyes that I was gradually becoming a lost cause. But despite the hardships, they refused to give up on me, and for that I was grateful. However, I still felt guilty that they had to sacrifice so much - their time, energy, and yes, even their staff - to help me. I was becoming a very problematic burden for my poor parents, who still had to spend their time and energy towards ruling the kingdom.

My personal tutor, who had been educating me for most of my childhood, was now gone. She was one of the many workers that Papa had fired in order to keep my secret safe. Instead, Mama became my teacher. She taught me the usual school subjects for a girl my age, such as reading and mathematics. But apart from all that, she also instructed me in a very important duty - ruling Arendelle. I had always known that I would be the queen someday. I may have had dangerous powers, and I may have been holed up in my room like a prisoner, but I was still my parents' eldest child. And as such, I was also the rightful heiress to Arendelle's throne. Mama taught me everything there was to know about being a queen, from political discussion to proper etiquette. Although she taught me well, I nonetheless dreaded my coronation day. Nothing made me more nervous than all the attention I would be receiving as queen. What if someone were to discover my powers? What would happen then?

I remember coming to Mama with my concerns. I was just a ten-year old girl, sitting at my desk with a quill in hand. I was faithfully carrying out my studies as Mama sat on my bed nearby, watching over me.

"Hey Mama?" I said as soon as I finished writing. I set the quill down and stared at the paper, waiting for the ink to dry.

She turned to me, having been snapped out of her pensive mood. "Yes, Elsa?"

"I'm going to be the queen one day, right?"

"That's right. Why do you ask?"

I paused to face her. "What if I haven't learned how to control...well, you know...?"

Mama cocked her head ever so slightly. "What do you mean, Elsa?"

"My magic. What if I can't control it yet?"

"Elsa, please sit up straight. You're slouching, see?"

I straightened my back. "I mean, I don't know if I'll be able to keep my secret...well, a secret."

Mama smiled at me encouragingly, her compassion shining as usual through her pale blue eyes. "Of course you will, Elsa. By the time you become Arendelle's queen, you will have full control of your ability. I promise."

"And what if I don't?"

Mama paused and looked past me, putting a slender finger on her chin and sighing. "Well, Elsa," she replied, "the way I see it, there are two different ways this could turn out. And it all depends what you decide to do, and which kind of person you choose to become. On one hand, you could choose to endanger the kingdom by revealing your powers. I'm sorry, Elsa, but no matter how easy it may seem, nothing good will come out of it." She looked past the wall, at a future that she never hoped would happen. Then she turned back to me. "Or, you could be the good girl that you always have been, and keep the kingdom safe by hiding your powers from everyone." She took my gloved hands in hers, a note of urgency in her kind eyes. "Please, Elsa. Be a good girl. You must always be the good girl. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama. I understand."

* * *

Meanwhile, Papa would visit me in the afternoons, or in the evenings if he was too busy with work. He would teach me how to control my ability - a task that was just as difficult for him to teach as it was for me to learn. Papa was a king, not a magician. When it came to my powers, he was just as in the dark as I was. But he tried his best to help me through it all. "Conceal it, don't feel it," he would say to me. Although his strategy was only making things worse, he was only doing what he thought was best for me. And it must have tortured him to see his daughter suffering like this; I could see the pain in his eyes every time I lost control. But he always put on a brave face, and never gave up. That's what I admired about him. No matter how many times he saw his hard work go to waste, he stuck by my side and refused to give up on me, even though I myself had already done so countless times.

On top of all that, Anna kept visiting my room. Every day, she would excitedly run over to my door and knock excitedly, asking me to play. I loved hearing the sound of her voice; it was the only thing that held me together during my miserable time in confinement. Although she always stayed outside my door, her comforting presence was like a constant companion that gave me a shred of hope for the future. Her question always remained the same. "Do you wanna build a snowman?" But every time she asked that, I had to choke back tears. It was the same question she had asked me that fateful autumn night, before I struck her. It was difficult to think of that night, especially when her requests to play constantly reminded me of it. But it was even more difficult to say no to her every time. Nothing wounded me more deeply than being forced to shut out my own sister.

"Of course I want to build a snowman," I nearly said on more than one occasion, "Come on, let's go outside." But no. I simply couldn't play with her. It was for the best, I tried to convince myself. This way, Anna would be safe from me and my powers. But in hindsight, I now realize that in dashing her hopes like that, I was hurting her more deeply than my powers ever could. Every time I said no, I felt like a little part of me died away. Her visits were becoming as much of a curse as they were a blessing. I thought that after being shunned for so long, she would eventually give up on me. But if there was one thing about my little sister, it was that she was incredibly stubborn. No matter how many times I sent her away, she would always come bounding back the next day, full of optimism. She was motivated by the hope that I would one day leave my room and become her best friend once more.

But as the years passed, that hope seemed to drift farther and farther away. The idea of me leaving my room became something of a fantasy to her, an impossible future that she could only experience in her mind. And so, her visits became less frequent. Instead of daily, she started visiting every other day. Then twice a week. Then every other week. It was a gradual process, but the two of us were growing further apart. Our strained relationship showed itself in the way she spoke. The enthusiasm that was in her voice whenever she asked me to play was slowly dying away. It was as if she expected me to say no to her. Poor Anna. She had been abandoned by her only friend, and she had no one else to turn to, as the castle gates were shut. The worst part, though, was that she had no idea why I was being so cold towards her. Whenever she asked, Papa and Mama would brush the question aside or change the subject. The servants, too, were under strict orders to keep my magic a secret from Anna. I could only guess what sort of misguided theories were forming in her young mind. Perhaps she thought I didn't love her, that I somehow didn't want to be with her anymore. As the years passed, and Anna started keeping her distance from me, I wanted nothing more than to run out of my room and hold her in my arms once more, assuring her that what I felt was precisely the opposite.

As for me, I tried my absolute hardest to control my powers. "Conceal it, don't feel it," I would say by myself, repeating Papa's words to me, "don't let it show." But I felt like the more I tried to suppress my powers, the more difficult it became. My ability was linked to my emotions. Whenever I laughed or cried, I would feel the familiar icy feeling build in my heart and spread up my limbs, threatening to release itself. So I figured that in order to suppress my powers, I would have to suppress my emotions as well. I tried to be ice cold, showing nothing, feeling nothing. But it was no use. There was just too much fear and self-doubt. The hope I once held, which told me that I would live a normal life someday, was dying fast. With every passing day, my heart grew heavier, and my powers became stronger and more uncontrollable. Sometimes I would wake up from a terrible nightmare (which started happening more often as the years passed) to find my sheets covered in frost. Or after refusing to play with Anna, I would sometimes freeze the wall or floor unwittingly.

* * *

I remember one particular incident when things really got out of hand. I was already twelve years old. I had already been living in my room for four years. I was sitting on my bed, staring at the wall in complete boredom. To keep myself from going crazy, I grabbed the nearest book I could find - which turned out to be an ordinary geometry schoolbook - and started leafing through its pages. It was surprisingly interesting. I found myself engrossed in perimeters and areas when I suddenly heard a knock at the door. Immediately, I knew who was on the other side.

"Elsa?" said Anna. I closed my eyes and smiled to myself, eagerly soaking in the sound of her voice. I hadn't heard it in weeks. "Hey, Elsa. It's me again. Hey, I bet you're wondering what I've been doing for the past few weeks!" I didn't respond. It had already become a routine between us; she would stay at my door and tell me about her life, while I would just sit and listen. After finding herself met with my usual silence, Anna continued speaking. "I think some company is overdue. Wouldn't you agree?" More silence. "But there really isn't anyone to talk to here in the castle. Mama and Papa seem to be a lot less talkative. And the servants can't seem to carry on a conversation without having to 'get back to work.' Can you believe it? But I've found a few friends. They're not the most talkative people, but they're pretty cool. They live in the art room. There's Mona, Adam, and - my personal favorite - Joan. You should meet them sometime! Y'know, when you're not busy doing...whatever it is you do in your room."

I giggled to myself as I realized that Anna's "friends" were just the pictures that hung in the castle's art gallery. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel immensely sorry for her. Was this how lonely she had become? So desperate for companionship, that she had started talking to the pictures on the wall? At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go out and wrap my sister in a tight hug. But even that simple act would expose my secret. She would only have to touch my ice-cold skin to know that something was wrong with me. I started sobbing as I realized that I couldn't even embrace my own sister anymore. Although I tried to be as quiet as possible, Anna must have heard me somehow. She tentatively knocked on my door. "Elsa? Are you alright?" I didn't respond. "Did I say something to hurt you? I'm sorry, Elsa. But hey, I think I know what'll make you feel better!" I braced myself - this was always the hardest part. "Do you wanna build a snowman?" I looked out the window; sure enough, it was snowing outside, the perfect weather for building a snowman. But instead of saying no to her, I just sat hunched on my bed, wiping my wet eyes with the back of my hand.

After thirty seconds of silence, I heard Anna sigh as her footsteps receded back down the hallway. After making sure she was out of earshot, I buried my face in my hands and cried. It was just so unfair! It wasn't my fault I had these powers. Why did it have to be me, of all people? I couldn't even control my abilities. Why couldn't someone else have had them? Someone who would have more use for them, perhaps. Like a soldier, or an ice harvester. Not a princess. These powers were only tearing my life apart! I couldn't spend time with my family, I couldn't go outside, I couldn't even hug my sister when she felt lonely. I was just...trapped. Forever consigned to a life of solitude, confined in my room until the day I die. The thought of living my entire life here sent a shiver up my spine.

And then, I screamed. I didn't care who heard me, or what would happen. I just...lashed out. At the world. At myself. At everything and everyone I ever knew. Anger, frustration, and sadness all came out at once. I felt cold and empty all over. And then, silence. Absolute silence. I slowly opened my eyes...and saw a large patch of ice on the wall on the other side of the room. Immediately, my heart jumped. Was that me? Did I do that? After catching my breath, I tentatively got off my bed and approached the wall. I ran my hand on the patch of ice, inspecting it with wide eyes. It formed a distinct pattern on the wall, several spikes jutting out from a single point - much like a snowflake. And it was large, too. Larger than anything else I had previously created. It covered the entire lower half of the wall. Before this, I hadn't known how powerful my abilities had become. I had been suppressing them for years. But as I gazed with horror at the frozen wall in front of me, I suddenly realized that no one around me was safe.

"Elsa!" came Papa's voice from outside. My head whipped towards the door as Papa and Mama burst into the room, panicked expressions on their faces. "Are you alright?" asked Papa, "We heard screaming, and-" He turned towards the frozen wall, and his eyes went wide. Mama put a hand to her mouth and gasped. "Oh my God," Papa slowly muttered under his breath.

"Elsa?" Mama said, "Wh...what happened?"

"I'm scared," I said, brushing the question aside, "it's getting stronger!"

Papa regained his composure, trying to be strong. "Getting upset only makes it worse. Calm down." He knelt down and tried to hug me.

Immediately, I recoiled from him. "No! Don't touch me!" Papa stood back up, his face full of surprise and grief. "I don't want to hurt you," I explained to him. But even then, I could see the sadness in his eyes. Mama, on the brink of tears, put a hand on Papa's shoulder and looked at me mournfully.

"We understand, Elsa," Papa said.

After that day, Mama and Papa never touched me again.


	8. Long Live the King

I thought my life had reached an all-time low. I thought nothing worse could possibly happen to me anymore. I was horribly, horribly wrong.

I knelt on the ground, holding my sister's body in my arms. My cold, half-dead sister. With what little strength she had left, she looked me in the eye and weakly put an icy hand on my cheek. And she smiled. She didn't cry, she didn't panic, she just looked at me with the most peaceful expression...and smiled.

"It's okay, Elsa," she whispered through unsteady breaths, "you didn't mean to do it..."

"No, Anna!" I practically screamed, though her face was just inches from mine, "You can't die...I won't let you! I won't let you...don't die, Anna...please..."

"Shh, shh," she replied, closing her eyes, "it's going to be alright. It'll be alright, Elsa." I knew she was trying to be strong for me. Instead of doing the same for her, I buried my face in her chest and bawled miserably.

"Don't go, Anna...don't leave me alone," I whimpered into her tear-stained dress.

She coughed and put a hand on my head. "Hey Elsa?" she said, her voice growing weaker by the second.

"Yes, Anna?"

"Could you sing me a lullaby? Like the ones Mama used to sing at night. It...it'll make this...a lot easier."

Her final request. I nodded and paused to look once more at her beautiful face. Despite her current situation, her eyes shone with warmth, compassion, and...forgiveness. Her pale lips were weakly turned upwards in a smile. A smile that I wouldn't be seeing again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. And then I sang. I didn't try to acknowledge the world around me as my sister drew closer to death with every passing second. I just focused on the singing, my weak, shaky voice echoing throughout the dark, empty room. The song was calm, peaceful. A lullaby that our Mama used to sing at night before we fell asleep. Here it was once more, falling onto the ears of my dying sister. It was the last time she would ever hear it.

Anna smiled and closed her eyes. Something stirred inside her chest, and then...she stopped breathing. Everything stood still. Nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat, and the sight of my dead sister. "Anna?" I put my hands on her shoulders, which sagged idly as her head lolled back. "Anna?!" No response. She only stared, through pale, closed eyelids, at the ceiling high above me, not moving. Not breathing. "No, please. Anna! Anna, please! No, Anna..." I buried my face in her chest and cried once more. I was all alone.

"Elsa," I heard a man's voice say beside me.

* * *

Immediately, I jolted awake.

Instinctively, my eyes darted to my bedsheets. I frowned as I wiped the sweat from my brow. Frozen again. Ten years of this, I thought, and things are still the same. Ten years of living in fear, solitude, and despair. Ten years of the same horrible dream, and I still fell for it every single time. It took me a while to realize that Mama and Papa were at my bedside, concerned expressions on their faces. I gasped in surprise. How much of my little episode did they see?

Papa spoke before I could explain himself. He looked like he had other things on his mind. "Sorry to wake you up so early," he began.

"Is something wrong, Papa?" I asked, looking at the clock that hung on the wall. 5:45, it read. Why did my parents wake me up at this time?

"Your father and I have some...important news," Mama said softly. "We need you to listen carefully, Elsa."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up straight, hugging my knees. Whatever they had to say, couldn't they have waited until a later time?

Mama and Papa looked at each other, each of them silently urging the other to speak first. Finally, Papa cleared his throat and reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. I instinctively flinched away before he could touch me, and he put his hand back down. "We were recently invited to an event. A wedding, to be exact." He sighed, trying to find the right words. "The princess of one of Arendelle's closest allies is getting married. And we were asked to show up in person."

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Your father and I will be gone for a while," Mama said, "we will be at her wedding ceremony."

Now that caught my attention. I sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling wide awake. "How long?" I asked, noticing a small tone of urgency in my voice.

Mama and Papa looked at each other apologetically. They were keeping something from me.

"How long?" I repeated, the stress in my voice slowly building.

"Two weeks," Papa said, "we'll be gone for two weeks."

The news hit me like a speeding train. I put a hand to my head and moaned, feeling faint all of a sudden. "Elsa?" Mama said, "Elsa, are you all right?"

I took a few deep breaths and fought the churning feeling in my chest. "Why...why can't you stay here?" I asked after gathering my scattered thoughts.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Papa replied sadly, "Corona has been one of our closest allies for as long as I could remember. If their princess is getting married, your mother and I must attend the ceremony. I'm sorry, Elsa."

"But I...I..." were the only words that came out of my mouth. They couldn't be leaving me alone now, could they? Not while I was still unable to control my powers. My training was still incomplete; I needed my parents more than ever.

Mama leaned down to kiss my head, but pulled back at the last second, deciding against it. "You will be all right," she said sweetly, though I could tell she was suffering inside, "your father and I will only be gone for a couple of weeks. We'll be back before you know it, Elsa."

"Well, what am I supposed to do until then?" I asked, noticing how badly my voice was shaking.

"Your powers can be controlled," Papa said, "we wouldn't leave you alone if we knew you couldn't handle them by yourself. Just hang in there until we get back. Elsa, I know you can do it." The frosting on my bedsheets told me otherwise. I wanted to object, to say something to keep them close by. But I could only sit on the bed, speechless. How was I ever going to manage?

After they left my room, I couldn't go back to sleep. I spent a good deal of the day pacing back and forth, restless with anticipation. Throughout my life, Mama and Papa had never left me alone for more than a day. They had been my constant (and only) companions for the past ten years. And now here they were, about to leave for Corona of all places, leaving me to fend for myself for two weeks. Two whole weeks! I felt like I wasn't yet ready to be left by myself like this.

* * *

That evening, I stood in the Great Hall. Mama and Papa had given me permission to leave my room to say goodbye - a rare privilege. I curtsied politely as Mama and Papa picked up their bags, preparing to load them onto the carriage. "Do you have to go?" I asked uneasily, though I very well knew the answer.

"You'll be fine, Elsa," Papa said as he and Mama smiled reassuringly. Despite his kind words, I was disinclined to believe him.

"Are you ready, your Majesty?" asked Kai, one of our servants, as he threw the last of Papa's bags onto the carriage. "Let's go."

Mama and Papa boarded the carriage, and before I knew it, they were heading out of the castle gates. I waved goodbye as their figures receded into the distance, a black silhouette against the orange sky. Soon they would be boarding a ship, and sailing out of sight. As the castle gates were shut once more, blocking out the sight of my parents, silence filled the world around me. Nothing but the sound of my own breathing. _I'm all alone,_ I realized with heartbreaking clarity. Mama and Papa were gone. There was no one left to turn to.

Before I could dwell too much on the thought, I turned around and walked briskly down the castle halls, heading back to my room. I wanted to catch one last glimpse of them before they left for good. As I pensively made my way down the dimly lit hallway, I came across a young lady, and brushed past her without a second thought. It took a second glance backwards for me to recognize her. And when I did, I stifled a gasp, unable to keep my eyes off her.

It was Anna. My sister, who I had been shutting out for years, right before my eyes. But she looked...different. She was no longer the innocent girl who wanted to build a snowman. Now she was a lovely young lady, fifteen years of age. Her face, which I remembered as chubby and innocent, was shapelier and more developed. She had grown her hair out, long enough to form two long braids that were draped over each of her shoulders. Her frame was taller and more slender, too - very becoming of a princess her age. But her eyes. Those bright, blue eyes that had always been so entrancing. They still held the same wonder that they contained thirteen years ago, when she was but a little girl. Even now, as she looked at me with caution, I could still see in her the playful little girl she had once been.

As I stood in the hallway, staring at Anna, I realized, at that moment, how much of her life I had missed out on. How many events, birthdays, and first-time experiences she had - all without me. Ten whole years had passed between us. Not that I hadn't seen her during my years of seclusion. I did leave my room once or twice. Sometimes I would even encounter my sister. But I would always walk right by her without a word, not even bothering to make eye contact with her. Now, finally being able to see her up close and personal like this, I was struck speechless. What was she thinking, I wondered? Was she still confident that we would be reconciled? Or was she now full of bitter resentment, after having been shunned for so long?

As she stared at me with wide eyes, it slowly dawned on me that this was probably the first time she had gotten a good look at the older me. It probably took a while for her to recognize me, too. "Elsa?" she asked warily, her quiet voice faintly echoing down the hallway.

"Anna..." I replied before I could stop myself, "I..."

Immediately, Anna perked up, her eyes suddenly filled with optimism, as if she didn't expect me to respond. To be honest, I didn't expect myself to respond, either. The words sort of just...tumbled out. There was so much I wanted to say. But as I stood anxiously in front of my sister, I noticed something strange in her hair. I looked closer and realized that it was the white streak that had formed when I hit her with my powers. That was so long ago, yet the white stripe remained, still as noticeable as ever. A constant reminder of my own failure. I turned around and shut my eyes, suddenly unable to look my sister in the face.

"I'm sorry," I quickly said, "please excuse me." I continued walking down the hallway, turning away from Anna. Before rounding the corner, I stole one last glance backwards, only to see the sight of my sister, standing alone and heartbroken in the dark hallway, the same way she had been when I first shut her out.

As I slipped back into my room, I mentally kicked myself for saying nothing to my sister. There was actually so much I wanted to tell her! More than what could be said in a few words. _I'm sorry for shutting you out of my life. I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you. I'm sorry for forcing you into a life of solitude and loneliness, all because of my mistake!_ But it was too late. Whatever I wanted to say to her, I couldn't go back out there anymore. I had my chance, and I let it slip between my fingers.

I stared out the triangular window, trying to distract myself from what could have been. There was just too much emotion attached to the thought of my sister. As my eyes scanned the orange horizon, I caught sight of a great ship, sailing off into the distance. It was my parents' ship, heading out of Arendelle's fjord. Soon enough, they would be sailing through the vast ocean, heading for Corona. "Be safe," I whispered. Even after the ship sailed out of sight and into the great ocean beyond, I stayed in front of my window, absentmindedly staring at Arendelle's village square, sprawled out in front of me. I watched Arendelle's citizens, tiny figures that littered the streets, exchanging friendly greetings, ready to go back home after another day of hard work. I sighed wistfully. Though I was their princess, they all had something I didn't have. Not riches, nor power, nor fame. They had freedom. They could do whatever they pleased, and go wherever they wanted. Me, I was forever confined in this castle, unable to step foot outside. I slowly turned around surveyed my room, my prison for the past ten years. As my eyes scanned over the familiar walls, a new sense of loneliness rose within me. Before, I was secluded from the world, without a single friend. But at least I had my parents. They were always there to support and encourage me. But now, they were gone. My parents were leaving me to fend for myself for two weeks. Now, I was truly alone.

* * *

The next few days went by at a painfully slow pace. Every day, I would ask Kai for news concerning my parents. His answer would always remain the same. "I'm sorry, your Highness," he said, "but no news from Corona has arrived yet. If we hear anything about the King and Queen, we will let you know immediately, I promise."

And so I waited. But no information came came. With each passing day, I could feel my anxiety growing higher. The promised news didn't arrive until six days later. It would turn out to be the most devastating news I would ever hear in my life.

Now, you really must excuse me if I seem a bit...distracted during this next part. This is when things get hard for me.

It was an otherwise peaceful night. The stars twinkled like snowflakes in the vast, peaceful sky. I was sitting on my bed, alone as always. The quiet room was illuminated only by the flickering light of a single candle as I skimmed over my old geometry book, which I had already read cover-to-cover countless times. I was just about to nod off when a knock came at my door. I groaned to myself; who would be visiting me at this time? Getting out of bed, I yawned and trudged sleepily to the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's, um...it's Kai, your Highness," came a shaky voice on the other side. It was strange; usually Kai spoke with such confidence. After years of working for my father, Kai had learned to adopt his sure tone, his commanding quality of speech. But now, he sounded unsure of himself. Curious, I opened the door. Sure enough, Kai was on the other side. He stood tall and proud, and his hands were clasped stiffly in front of him. Unusually formal, for this time of night. And then I noticed his eyes. They had pink circles around them. Had he been...crying?

"Sorry to wake you, Princess Elsa," he said, regaining the formality in his voice.

"No, it's all right," I replied, "And you can relax. You don't need to be so...formal at a time like this."

Kai let out a breath and let his shoulders sag just the slightest bit. He probably didn't even realize that he had been standing so stiffly. He didn't waste a second more. "Your Highness, I have some very important news for you. It concerns your parents."

My heart jumped. Finally, after five agonizing days, some news! "What is it?" I asked, a little too excitedly than I had intended.

Kai paused and looked into my room. He held up an arm towards my bed. "I think it's best that you sit down, your Highness."

"No," I said hurriedly, "I'll be fine, thank you." I just wanted to hear this important news. Then, realizing how tense I had suddenly become, I cleared my throat and straightened my back. "Please," I continued, "say what you have to."

Kai bit his lip, unable to decide how to begin. Then, he cleared his throat and spoke, slowly but surely. "Princess Elsa, your parents were expected to arrive at Corona four days ago. But a full day had passed since their departure, and they still hadn't turned up. At first, no one thought much of it; we thought they simply running late. Perhaps they ran into bad weather. As the days passed, we anxiously waited for word from Corona confirming your parents' arrival. But no such news arrived. Eventually, we started fearing the worst. Now, five days have already passed since their supposed arrival, and, well, we've started to think, maybe..." His voice trailed off, as he was unable to form the right words. My heart coiled tightly as I finally realized what he was about to say.

A dreadful silence hung in the air between us. Kai stood at the doorway, stumbling over his own words, as I tried to fight the cold feeling that had suddenly built up in my chest.

After what seemed like hours, Kai continued. "Look, your Highness, what I'm trying to say is that the king and queen...your parents...have died at sea. I am terribly sorry, Princess Elsa."

I felt like a knife had just been thrust into my chest. Kai kept speaking, though I could no longer hear what he was saying. In fact, I couldn't hear anything. Just a dull ringing in my ears, and the rapid beating of my own heart. Blurry shapes framed my vision; I felt detached from reality, like I was watching everything from afar. My parents were..._dead?_ I couldn't wrap my head around the news. _No,_ I thought to myself, _they're not dead. They can't be. They said they'll be back!_ But even as I thought this, I could feel tears build up behind my eyes. My knees suddenly felt heavy. As I heard someone's breathing - my own? - grow heavier, I stumbled backwards, away from Kai, and collapsed onto the floor. Kai went wide-eyed and yelled something down the hallway.

"Gerda! Somebody! Please, help!" I heard him cry as soon as I regained my grip on reality.

"No!" I called out to him, "I'm all right. I'm fine."

Kai looked at me with a mixture of pity and concern. I would have been embarrassed to be seen like this, if I wasn't so badly shaken. "Your Highness," Kai said, his eyes full of empathy, "I wish there was something I could do." But I didn't respond. I couldn't respond. I just stared past Kai and at the wall beyond, a storm of thoughts whirling around in my aching head. Kai stood at the doorway, waiting to see if I needed any further attention. Seeing that I didn't, he said "Good night, Princess Elsa," and left, quietly closing the door behind him.

And then I was alone in the darkness of my room. I sat against the wall, hugging my knees and staring at the floor with cold, empty eyes.

They were dead. My parents were dead. I struggled with the thought. How could they leave me like this? How could they be taken away from me at the worst possible time? I didn't even get to say goodbye to them. "Do you have to go?" were my last words to them. They probably never knew it, but I always appreciated everything they did for me. No matter how much of a disappointment I had proven myself to be, they were always there for me, never giving up, never losing hope. Both of them had always been at my side, each of them helping me in different ways. Mama was always so caring and supportive. Not once did she ever lose her patience with me. With a gentle hand, she lovingly taught me how to rule the kingdom, confident that I would be able to leave my room and lead a normal life one day. No matter how many times I lost control, or how overwhelmed I may have felt, she always knew how to comfort me. And Papa - dear Papa - he was always a source of strength, a shoulder to lean on whenever I felt scared, lonely, or depressed. He taught me to be brave and independent, to dust my shoulders and keep walking whenever I fell. Both he and Mama loved me unconditionally, serving as beacons of hope in a hopeless world.

But now they were gone. They gave me my only remaining shred of faith in the world, and now they were gone. It was so unfair! I felt like a large part of me - a part that I held close to my heart - had just been cruelly wrenched from my grasp. There was no one else to confide in. No one left to share my pain, my sorrow, and my grief. I was all alone.

Sitting against the wall, I buried my face in my knees and wept, staining my silk nightgown with warm tears. Curled up on the floor, I quietly cried myself to sleep, paying no attention to the white ice that was quickly spreading around the room.


	9. A Queen in the Making

The next day, the news was released. The citizens of Arendelle mourned the loss of their king and queen. Anna and I, however, mourned the loss of our parents.

I continued living in hiding, as if to respect the wishes of my late parents. Or perhaps it was to punish myself. Whichever the case, the fact remained that I spent my existence miserably confined in my room, isolated from the world. As the customary, week-long period of mourning passed, I made no attempt to control my powers. The hope that I would be able to control them (as well as the hope that I would be able to live a normal life) died along with my parents. I spent most of my time sitting alone in my room in a sort of trancelike state, detached from reality. I barely ate (much to the servants' worry) and spent my nights tossing and turning restlessly in bed.

Meanwhile, my sister was completely and utterly devastated by the news. She stopped visiting my room; in fact, for the next seven days, she never spoke to me. I figured she was shutting herself in her room, spending hours miserably crying in her bed. I know I was doing as much. The poor girl was barely managing to keep herself together; occasionally I would hear her walking down the hallway, barely managing to hold in sobs as she briskly passed by my room. I wanted, more than anything else, to go out and comfort her, to be the loving, caring sister I once was. But Papa's instructions rung ever so clearly in my mind: _Don't be alone with Anna._ Although I couldn't stand any of it, I stayed in my room, listening helplessly as Anna would break into tears, with no one to comfort her.

And then came the day of the funeral.

* * *

It was a cloudy morning. I was sitting on my bed, staring blankly at the layer of ice that permanently coated the walls, when a knock came at the door.

"Elsa?" came a shaky, broken voice on the other side. A voice I hadn't heard in a week. I slowly stood up and walked towards the door, if not just to hear the long overdue sound of my sister's voice. She continued, "Elsa, it's me, Anna. Listen, I honestly don't know what I did to hurt you. But whatever it was, could you please just put it behind you, at least for today? I need you to come out. It's our parents' funeral, Elsa. You loved them just as much as I did. Please, I can't do this without you. I need you, Elsa."

I stared at the door, wringing my hands uneasily. Of course I wanted to go; how could I miss out on my parents' funeral? They helped me through so much. I at least owed it to them to attend. But at the same time, it was simply unthinkable that I should leave the castle gates. I had been staying within the confines of my room for the past ten years. Could I really just ignore my parents' instructions, at least for today, and leave?

I stayed silent as I stood in front of the door, while Anna waited for me on the other side with open arms. My heart wanted me to go out and join my sister, but my mind was preventing me from doing so. I simply couldn't go out there, could I?

_No,_ I thought, drawing my hand back from the doorknob, _I can't._ I could practically see the scenario playing in my head. The citizens of Arendelle gathering around my parents' headstones, their heads bowed down in mourning. Anna eulogizing the king and queen, her voice broken, her eyes glazed with tears. Me on the sidelines, listening silently, struggling to hold everything - my emotions, my powers - inside myself. With the depressingly gloomy atmosphere, as well as the massive company of mournful citizens, it would only be a matter of time before I lose control of my powers in front of them. My darkest secret - the one my parents had worked so hard to hide - would be revealed. What would the people of Arendelle think? Even worse, what would Anna think? I simply couldn't risk ruining my life any more than I already had.

I was about to walk away from the door when something in me stirred. I stopped in my tracks and looked back at the door. My ticket to freedom. Yes, it was true that going to the ceremony meant I would be taking a huge risk - probably the biggest risk I had ever taken. But at the same time, I thought, wouldn't it be worth it, if it meant being with my sister again? Anna needed me, and although I didn't realize it at the time, I needed her as well. We were the only family left for each other. I simply couldn't leave her out there to fend for herself. Especially not now, when she needed me the most. No, I had to be to Anna what Mama and Papa were to me: a source of strength, a shoulder to lean on during times like this. Why did I have to keep hiding from her? I was all she had left. She needed me now, more than ever. I had to rise to the challenge. I had to be there for her.

_Yes,_ I thought, determined, _we'll pull through this tragedy together. I'm coming, Anna._

As I walked back to the door and put my hand on the doorknob, I took a deep breath, feeling my fears slowly flow out of me. As I slowly turned the doorknob, I felt a sense of freedom gradually rise in my chest. I felt like I was about to release a great burden - one I had carried for the past ten years. A grin spread across my face. It was time to let it all go.

"Anna!" I called out as I threw the door open.

But there was no one to respond. Where Anna had been just a few minutes earlier, there was nobody. Just me and the empty hall. I looked around. Where had she gone?

Just then, Gerda, one of the servants, rounded the corner, a broomstick in hand. "Princess Elsa?" she asked as soon as she caught sight of me. She looked surprised to see me, perhaps because I was outside my room. "Is something wrong, your Highness?"

"Um...where did Anna go?" I asked.

"Oh, she already left," Gerda replied as she started sweeping the floors.

"She...left?"

"For the funeral, your Highness. She said you didn't want to go, so she went without you."

"Oh," was all I managed to say before all my old misery started flowing back into me. I had spent too much time hesitating on my decision. Anna had mistaken my deliberation for refusal, and thought I didn't want to go. The poor girl was probably heartbroken, thinking she had no family left. My short-lived hopes were violently dashed before they could even be realized.

"Is something wrong, your Highness?" Gerda asked, after taking a few seconds to take in my expression.

"No," I replied quickly, "no, it's...it's all right." I slipped back into my room without saying another word, and there I stayed for the next few hours, deep in thought. Why did these things keep happening to me? Every time I tried to get back together with Anna, circumstances always prevented me from doing anything. Was it meant to be this way? Were we meant to be separated forever? Perhaps. And maybe it was for the best. That way, I wouldn't be able to hurt her again. I would never be able to forgive myself if that happened. For me to be the best sister I could, I had to protect Anna from the greatest danger in her life: myself. And to do that, I would have to keep my distance from her. I wouldn't like it one bit - and neither would she. And she would inevitably end up resenting me in the future. But it would be worth it, knowing I had protected my sister from myself and the dangerous force I had become.

* * *

Later that day, I sat against the door, silently weeping into the sleeves of my dress. Without warning, a knock came at the door. I didn't bother getting up to answer it. I knew who was on the other side.

"Elsa?" came my sister's voice on the other side, "Please, I know you're in there. Why didn't you come? Everyone was asking where you were, and..." I heard her voice crack. The poor girl was on the verge of tears. She cleared her throat and steadily continued, "Everybody's telling me to be strong. To get up and keep walking. But...but it's too hard, Elsa. I just...I can't pull through anymore. Especially when you're shutting me out like this. Please, let me in. Let me be a part of your life again. With our parents gone, and you shutting me out like this, I feel like...like there's nothing left for me anymore. We only have each other now. What are we going to do, Elsa?" I heard her slide to the floor and sit against the door opposite me. She sniffled a few times as I wiped tears from my own eyes.

Then, as her voice wilted into sobs, she whispered, more to herself than anyone, "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

And at that moment, more clearly than ever, I remembered everything - the childhood Anna and I spent together. When she and I would play in the sunlit ballroom, build snowmen, go sledding, and skate on the ice. When we were the best of friends, running around the castle and into the loving arms of our dear parents. We were so happy back then. What happened? What went wrong along the way? I slowly looked up at the frozen mess that was my room. Ice covered everything - the walls, ceiling, windows, and floor - while snowflakes hung completely still in the air, suspended solely by my own grief. _How could things possibly get this awful?_ Overwhelmed by the disastrous mess my life had become, I hugged my knees, bowed my head, and wept silently.

"Of course, Anna," I whispered inaudibly through my tears, "of course I want to build a snowman."


	10. Coronation

**Hola! TariaNalu here! Sorry if this chapter took a bit long to post. I'm kinda working on making my chapters longer, so there'll be a bit of a time gap between new chapters. But hey, longer chapters = more reading material, so it's not all bad, right?**

**Anyway, don't forget to write a review! Since I'm new to the FanFiction community, your feedback means a lot to me. That's all, bye!**

* * *

The frigid room was silent. Peaceful. Nothing but the sound of my own breathing. The sun was barely beginning to rise over the horizon, adding a faint, pink tint to the navy-blue sky. I took a deep breath and allowed a small grin to make its way onto my face. It was times like these - when I could be completely and totally alone, with no one to disturb me - that I felt some small semblance of serenity. _Perhaps I should try living on my own for a while,_ I thought, taking in the calm atmosphere.

And then came company. "Princess Elsa?" _Knock knock knock._ "Princess Elsa, it's me, Kai."

Ah, the wake-up call. I wasn't sure why I kept that order effective. I liked my beauty rest. And today, of all days, I would have preferred to stay in bed, and perhaps even hide under the covers. But as it was, I was already awake, standing stiffly in front of the window, watching the sleepy town of Arendelle wake up as the sun peeked from the horizon. I had actually gotten up three hours earlier; I was unable to sleep out of apprehension for what the future had in store. And today, I knew I would have to face a challenge greater than anything else I had ever faced in my life.

Kai knocked again. "Princess Elsa? It's time to get up. Today's the big day, your Highness! The day of your coronation!"

I scowled; Kai didn't need to remind me what was in store for me today. I had already been fearing this day for years. Ever since my parents died three years ago, I knew that the day I turn twenty-one would be the day I would be crowned as Arendelle's queen. And I knew that when that day comes, I would have to open up the castle gates, come out of hiding, and mingle with a whole host of people, from politicians to citizens. Don't get me wrong, I had no doubts about my abilities as a queen; Mama taught me quite well. But the real problem lay in my powers. For the first time in forever, the royal gates of Arendelle would be open to the public. I would be surrounded by thousands of people, and I had to conceal my powers from every single one of them.

"Gerda and the others are waiting for you in the washroom," said Kai, "They're going to help you prepare for the big day ahead of you. We better get going, the citizens are already gathering up at the gates!"

"Right," I responded through the door, "Tell Gerda I'll be right over. Oh, and if my sister isn't awake in an hour, would you mind waking her up? You know how she can sleep through anything."

"Of course, your Highness," Kai replied before walking back down the hallway, perhaps to prepare the festivities for the upcoming celebration.

I slowly opened my bedroom door and peeked into the hallway before making my way to the washroom. As soon as I entered, I was greeted by a team of female servants, who started clapping politely at the sight of their soon-to-be queen. Gerda walked forward and put both her hands on my shoulders.

"Ah, at last!" she said, "Little Princess Elsa is going to be Arendelle's queen! My, look at you. You've certainly grown. You're so beautiful...if only your parents could see you now." She paused for a while, then continued, "Now, let's get you all fixed up, shall we?" I could tell, from the looks on the servants' faces, that they were excited to have the castle gates open once again. I didn't blame them, but I silently wished they would have acted a little...calmer.

"Let's get started!" one of the younger servants squealed as she ripped my nightgown off me (and when I say ripped, I do say so quite literally) and nearly shoved me into a wooden tub of steaming water, mixed with sweet-smelling perfumes. I was just beginning to enjoy my morning bath when I was suddenly assaulted on all sides by a flurry of brushes and cleansing sponges. The servants hummed a cheerful song as they nearly skinned me alive with their pumice stones, poured a bucket of water onto my hair, and pulled me out of the tub, wrapping a towel around my body. Before I could say anything, someone (probably the same servant from before) yanked the towel from my body. Two other servants swiftly took a corset and wrapped it around my torso, tightening it as far as it would possibly go. I could feel the air being squeezed out of me as the servants wrapped the cursed thing tighter around my body.

Gerda entered the room. Next to her, she had something, around a person's height, hidden under an elegant wrapping. Suddenly, everyone's attention was on Gerda. I took the opportunity to secretly loosen my corset just the slightest bit.

"Princess Elsa," Gerda announced, "may I present to you...your coronation dress!" She pulled away the wrapping and revealed a tailor's dummy, wearing one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen. I put my hand to my mouth in surprise, staring at the dress in astonishment. It was a beautiful, teal dress with long, black sleeves and gorgeous bronze lacings. Elegant, swirling patterns adorned the bodice and skirt. The dress gave off an aura of beauty, power, and majesty, all rolled up into one.

"That's...for me?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't believe something so lovely was meant to be mine.

"Of course!" Gerda replied, "We had this made just for you. It was fashioned after your mother's old dress. Do you like it?"

I put a hand to my chest, touched that the servants would go through so much trouble to make me look my best. "It's...it's so beautiful," I replied, "Thank you so much, Gerda."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, your Highness," she replied, "but you can stop your staring now. It'll look a thousand times better when you're wearing it." And with that, the servants continued with their excited chatter. They carefully took the dress off the tailor's dummy and put it on me without hesitation. Before I could look at myself in the mirror, I was promptly set down on a wooden stool. The servants brushed, twisted, and pulled my hair this way and that, applying makeup to my face at the same time. I have to admit, I may have gotten a little caught up in the excitement as well. It had been thirteen years since I had spoken to anyone. It felt nice, if not a little awkward, to take part in social interaction once again.

As soon as the servants were done with my hair and makeup, they stood back and beckoned me to see how I looked. I got up and walked to the mirror. As soon as I saw my reflection, I couldn't help but gasp. The woman in the mirror, the one staring back at me, was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. My platinum blonde hair was fixed up in an elegant twisted updo, not unlike the one that my mother used to have. I looked tall, poised, and regal - not at all like the scared young woman who had spent her life hiding in her room. The servants excitedly monitored my reaction as I simply stared at the mirror, awestruck. "Th-thank you," I stammered, "I...I look beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it, your Highness!" replied Gerda, "Now, before we finish, there's just one last thing." With that, she produced a large, magenta-colored cape that immediately took up half the room's floorspace. It exuded power and dignity, the kind of beauty and authority that could only fit a true queen. Was I really supposed to wear it? I felt like I didn't deserve to put it on. Nonetheless, Gerda fastened the brooch around my neck without a second thought. "There we go," she said, "now you can call yourself a true queen of Arendelle."

I looked behind me and stared in awe at the magenta cape - a symbol of my power. It cascaded gracefully down my back and trailed three feet behind me. "Thank you, Gerda. This is so nice."

"You're welcome, your Highness," Gerda responded with a smile.

I dismissed the servants, allowing them to make further preparations for the upcoming festivities. But Gerda lingered behind, the excitement slowly leaving her face as the room emptied out. As soon as she and I were alone, she leaned forward and whispered in a serious tone, "Your Highness. I understand you may be a bit nervous today, due to your...secret. Your father entrusted us servants with this secret, and we have sworn to keep it hidden. It was our solemn promise to him. And to respect that promise, I had these made for you." She presented a small, black case and opened the lid. What I saw inside snapped me back to reality.

It was a pair of long, teal gloves, made to match my dress. More importantly, they were made to help me conceal my powers.

Immediately, the positive energy in me died away. I remembered why I had dreaded this day for years. I was going to be surrounded - touched, even - by thousands of people, all of them potential witnesses to my darkest secret. The only thing separating me from the wrath of an angry mob was this pair of gloves in front of me. Despite my attempts to appear calm, I must have looked absolutely terrified at that moment, because Gerda reached out to put a hand on my shoulder (though I drew away before she could). She sighed, put the gloves in my hands, whispered "Good luck" to me, and walked out of the room, leaving me alone and, once again, scared of what the future had in store.

* * *

I spent some time in the library, mentally preparing myself for the day.

_Get a hold of yourself,_ I thought as I sat restlessly on the couch, _It'll only be for one day. One day. Then it'll all be over._ I tried to take comfort in the thought. For a while, I thought my fears had been put down. But then another question came up: What would I do after I become queen? Would I continue hiding in my room, living the rest of my life in isolation? Or would my newfound duties force me to surround myself with people? I shuddered; both prospects were equally terrifying.

Outside the library door, I could hear Anna singing to herself as she ran excitedly down the halls, making no attempt to hide her eagerness. Honestly, I didn't blame her; for the first time in thirteen whole years, the castle gates would finally be opened. After spending her entire childhood without a friend in the world, Anna was finally getting the opportunity she deserved: a chance to talk with people from all over the world. Today was a much-needed break from a life of loneliness and despair. I only wished my spirits were as high as hers. But as it was, I had other things to worry about.

To distract myself from my troubles, I got up and walked to the window. I could see the lively town of Arendelle preparing its festivities; colorful banners hung from rooftops, while a maypole was erected in the town square. Citizens of all ages, dressed in their most formal attire, walked down the streets, chatting excitedly. Further out, I could see several ships pull into the harbor, proudly displaying flags from many different nations: Weselton, the Eastern and Southern Isles, Corona, Lancaster, Cordoba, Versaille, and a few more from the far Eastern nations. The streets were full of high spirits and lively chatter as everyone, denizens and foreigners alike, gathered at the castle gates. They were all just waiting for me to let them in.

I took a deep breath and tried to replay my parents' instructions to myself. "Be the good girl you always have to be," I said to myself out loud, remembering what Mama had told me eleven years ago. Then, remembering Papa, "Conceal, don't feel."

Eventually, the bright lights and the massive crowd gathered at the castle gates became too stressful for me to watch. I turned from the window and noticed the giant painting that hung on the opposite wall. It depicted my dear father, standing tall and regal - a true king. In his right hand, he held the royal scepter, while the sovereign's orb rested in his left. I had learned all about the coronation rite from Mama; I knew that I would have to bear these two objects during the ceremony, just like my ancestors did before me. But the only problem was, unlike them, I had icy magic that froze everything I touched. If I were to hold the orb and scepter with my bare hands, they would immediately freeze over, and my secret would be revealed.

_It's a good thing I have these gloves, _I thought, _But just in case..._

I took off my gloves and laid them on a table in front of me, noticing a candlestick and jewelry box nearby. _I might as well practice now, while no one is watching._ With my bare hands, I carefully picked up the two objects, imagining them to be the royal orb and scepter. After taking a deep breath, I slowly turned around and envisioned a crowd of hundreds watching me. Almost immediately, I felt the familiar, cold feeling build in my heart, then travel up my arms and into my hands. Reluctantly, I looked down and noticed that the jewelry box and candlestick were rapidly being consumed by ice. Gasping, I quickly set them on the table, frustrated with myself, but at the same time, scared. As I wrung my hands, I silently prayed that the events that had just transpired wouldn't repeat themselves during the actual ceremony. How would I be able to hide my secret from all those people, when I couldn't even hold the symbols of power? I started to despair that I would be able to make it through the day.

_Get a hold of yourself,_ I thought, _Remember, getting upset will only make it worse. Conceal, don't feel._ I took a deep breath as I nervously picked my gloves back up from the table. "It's only for today," I had to remind myself out loud. But even so, could I really make it through the day without letting my powers loose? The ever-building anxiety was giving me a headache. The uncertainty of the whole situation was causing me unwanted stress. It was agony to wait; pulling my gloves back on, I decided it was time. I drew the library doors open and stepped into the hallway, where a crowd of servants was waiting for me.

"Tell the guards to open up the gates!" I ordered.

The servants looked at each other with eager smiles on their faces before rushing to the gates, chattering excitedly. As I walked by myself down the silent hallways, I could hear the deep groan of the castle's gates being opened. At last, after thirteen years, the kingdom of Arendelle was finally opening its gates to the public. Through the castle walls, I was able to hear the crowd's muffled cheering as hundreds of citizens flooded into the courtyard, all of them waiting for me. As I slowly approached the balcony, the sound gradually grew louder. I stood in front of the doorway, taking some time to calm my nerves. I put my shaking hands on the doorknobs and took a deep breath, remembering the advice Mama had given me all those years ago. _Be the good girl you always have to be._

And then, before I had time to form any regrets, I threw the double doors open. Immediately, sunlight flooded into the dark room, and the muffled sound of the crowd's cheering turned into full-scale applause. For full second, I froze in place as the cold feeling in my chest rapidly escalated. After managing to push it down, I nervously stepped onto the balcony, momentarily shielding my eyes from the intense sunlight that shone on my face. I bit my lip as I eyed the large crowd spread out before me. "It's the queen!" I heard one man yell. Immediately, everyone's eyes fell upon me. I gulped. What was I supposed to do? _Conceal, don't feel...don't let them know._ Despite the churning feeling in my stomach, I forced a weak smile and feebly waved to the crowd, causing the applause to grow even louder.

As my eyes scanned over the vast ocean of people laid out below me, I noticed a lone figure running out of the castle gates. I immediately recognized her. There was only one person in the world who would think of _leaving_ the castle at this time. I watched, smiling, as my sister ran into the village square, taking in the sights and sounds of the outside world. Even from up in the balcony, I could tell that she looked absolutely beautiful. Her strawberry red hair was fixed in an elegant updo, and she was wearing a lovely green ball dress. Then, I frowned as I remembered my current situation. I took a deep breath and renewed the smile on my face.

_It's time to put on a show,_ I thought as I waved to the vast crowd below me.

* * *

The church was filled with the gentle sound of choral music. It did nothing to soothe my nerves, however.

Behind my impassive facade, I desperately fought a grueling battle against the icy feeling in my chest. As I walked down the aisle, I tried focusing instead on the world around me. In front of me, the bishop led the coronation procession, followed immediately by a group of knights. And then there was me, doing everything I could to keep myself together. Behind me, Anna followed closely, holding up my cape so it wouldn't drag on the wooden floor. I looked to the side and scanned over the church's pews, filled to maximum capacity by citizens and dignitaries.

As I stepped onto the ornately decorated altar, I felt everyone's eyes on me. To distract myself, I tried running through the ceremony's schedule in my head. For the most part, I would only have to stand here and look pretty while the bishop conducts the ceremony. When the time comes, I would have to take the royal oath, which Mama had made me memorize forward and backward (and thank goodness for that - in my current state, I probably would have forgotten the words), then take up the symbols of power - the crown, the sovereign's orb, and the royal scepter - as the bishop appoints me as Queen of Arendelle. _Simple enough,_ I told myself, _that is, as long as I don't freeze anything..._

The bishop and I stood on the altar as the choral music drew to a close. Then, the bishop cleared his throat and loudly announced, "My dear brothers and sisters, we are here today to celebrate the coronation of our beloved queen, Elsa of Arendelle..."

As the ceremony carried on, I found myself zoning out. I was focusing instead on concealing my powers. The icy feeling in my chest wasn't subsiding, no matter how hard I tried to push it down. As I grew more anxious, my abilities came closer to reaching the surface. And the closer my magic got to externalizing itself, the more nervous I became. It was a hopeless cycle that I was barely managing to keep in check. But how long would I be able to keep it up? As everyone's eyes were fixated on me, I could feel my control slowly slipping away...

I was abruptly snapped to attention when the bishop looked at me expectedly, eyeing me as if I were supposed to do something. I realized that I was supposed to recite the royal oath. _Focus,_ I thought, silently berating myself for getting distracted, _don't let it show._ I quickly dug through my brain for the oath that Mama had taught me all those years ago; it had been three years since I had last rehearsed it. Then, after taking a deep breath, I raised my right hand and began, "I, Elsa of Arendelle, hereby solemnly swear, in sickness and in health, to govern the people and territories of Arendelle..."

As soon as I finished the oath, the bishop presented the royal crown - an intricately designed golden tiara adorned with a single, blue gem. I bowed down and closed my eyes as the bishop slipped the crown onto my head. Opening my eyes, I straightened up; at last, I was a true queen of Arendelle. Yet, the crown felt cold and unfamiliar on my head. It was almost as if I was never meant to wear it.

After placing the crown on my head, the bishop presented the sovereign's orb and royal scepter, resting atop a green velvet pillow. I took a deep breath. _This is it,_ I thought, _the last step. I'm almost finished._ I reached for the royal objects, but the bishop cleared his throat, interrupting me.

"Your Majesty," he whispered, subtly pointing his eyes towards my hands, "the gloves."

For a full second, I froze in place, remembering why I had dreaded this moment in particular. If there was one time for me to mess up and accidentally reveal my powers to everyone, it would be now. I remembered what had happened in the library, when I tried to pick up the candlestick and jewelry box with my bare hands. As I reluctantly slipped my gloves off, I silently prayed that what happened in the library wouldn't happen again here in the cathedral.

I nervously placed both my gloves on the pillow. The feeling of the warm air flowing over my bare hands felt strange and unpleasant; it made me feel naked and vulnerable. I stared at the symbols of power, hesitant to pick them up. Could I really do it? Could I really make it to the end of the ceremony without revealing my powers? I felt like running out at that moment, like escaping would somehow solve all my problems. But I could practically feel everyone's eyes trained on me, counting on me. I decided to take the risk. _Conceal, don't feel._ I sucked in a breath and reached for the orb and scepter. I could see my own pale hands shaking as I unsteadily picked up the symbols of power. Then I turned around to face the crowd, just like in the library. Only this time, the people watching me were very much real; if I were to mess up this time, a crowd of hundreds would be present to see it. I held my breath as the congregation stood up to acknowledge my coronation. The bishop started reciting the official declaration in Old Norse. This was the most important part of the ceremony - when the bishop was to call upon the power of Heaven itself to appoint me as queen of an entire nation. But to be honest, I didn't pay attention to anything he was saying. I was focusing all my attention and energy on suppressing my powers. But despite my efforts, I felt the familiar cold sensation build up in my chest and travel down my arms, concentrating itself in my hands. My stomach lurched as I unwillingly looked down at the symbols of power.

Ice was slowly forming on the orb and scepter, threatening to consume them from the bottom up.

My heart nearly skipped a beat. Time seemed to stand still. _No,_ I thought, _please, no! Not now!_ I drew in a sharp breath as the bishop continued speaking. With every passing second, the ice was getting closer to consuming the symbols of power, and revealing my secret. I stared straight ahead, scared to see the reaction of the crowd. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I couldn't take it anymore. Not caring whether or not the bishop was finished speaking, I hastily turned around and set the royal objects back down onto the pillow, swiftly pulling my gloves back on.

"...Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" the bishop announced, finishing his official declaration.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" the congregation repeated, cheering and clapping. With an imperceptible sigh of relief, I realized that no one had seen the ice forming on the orb and scepter. I was even more relieved to find out that the coronation ceremony was over. A small grin made its way onto my lips as I turned to face the cheering crowd.

I did it! I was able to make it through the ceremony without revealing my secret - though I certainly came close. I allowed myself to relax a little; at last, it was over. Yet, even amongst the praise and adulation of the crowd, there was one troubling thought that lingered in my mind. It was a thought that had actually formed long ago, during my years of isolation. It had remained in the background of my thoughts for many years, but at that moment, it manifested itself more clearly than ever.

_I'm not meant to rule._


	11. Celebration

**Ni hao! TariaNalu here! So, this chapter is when things kinda start lurking into crossover territory. Just a heads up!**

**Anyways, I realize it's been over a week since I've posted anything. Yikes! To keep this story from going stale, I've decided to split the party chapter into two parts, and release the first part here. The second should be coming some time soon, so just hang in there, guys! And thank you all for being so supportive. You guys keep me motivated to write.**

**As always, don't forget to leave a review! As I said before, your feedback means a lot to me.**

* * *

Later that night, a party was held at the Great Hall. The air was filled with music, laughter, and the smell of wonderful food.

Now, I've never really been one for parties. This is mostly due to the fact that I spent most of my childhood in a locked room, never interacting with people. In fact, looking back, I'm fairly sure that my coronation party was the very first party I had ever attended. I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. After spending thirteen years in a nearly empty castle, the loud music and boisterous laughter (not to mention the sheer amount of _people_) was quite a shock to me. Nonetheless, I was in a fairly good mood; the worst part was over. The rest of the day would be downhill from here.

As soon as the music stopped, the band played a fanfare as Kai made his way to the front. He cleared his throat and announced, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Ah, that was my cue. I strode into the room, a contented smile on my face, as the guests bowed respectfully. Standing under the royal canopy, I took in the festive scene around me. _So,_ I thought for a brief moment, _this must be what it's like to be respected..._

"Princess Anna of Arendelle!" Kai continued, holding his arm up towards the west entrance. Immediately, my sister stumbled into the room, waving excitedly at the crowd. Kai ushered her to a position under the royal canopy.

"Oh, here?" she whispered, though I could very clearly hear her, "...'cause I'm not sure I'm supposed to-" Kai nearly lifted her off the ground and set her down next to me. "...Oh, okay," she mumbled, keeping a formal distance away from me. The guests cheered as the festivities continued.

Anna and I stood under the canopy, watching the party. Though the guests were certainly having a good time, an awkward silence loomed over me and my sister. Thirteen years of separation had definitely taken their toll on our relationship. I figured if there was any time to begin reconciling with her, it would definitely be now. But what could I possibly say to her? Anything I say would only make me seem awkward. _Just say hello,_ I told myself, _it'll be a good start._

I glanced at my sister. Her hands were stiffly clasped in front of her, and her gaze was pointed downward. She was clearly as uncomfortable as I was, if not more. Finally, I mustered up my courage. "Hi," I said rather coyly.

Anna was visibly taken aback. For a split second, I thought she was going to run out on me. Instead, she responded with an equally awkward "Hi...hi me?" I nodded, amused. Even after thirteen years, my sister was still the innocent little girl that I had come to know and love. "Oh, um...hi," she replied with a smile. Then she went back to fidgeting uncomfortably, evidently unused to talking to me.

_Come on,_ I thought, _I'm losing her..._ I quickly racked my brain for something to say.

"You look beautiful," I remarked, deciding to stick to the small talk.

Anna perked up, her blue eyes suddenly full of optimism. "Oh, thank you," she responded, the awkward tension slowly lifting, "you look beautifuller. I mean, not fuller. You don't look fuller, but more-more beautiful." I giggled softly; for all her formality, my sister always had a rather clumsy aura about her. But I always found that part of her so endearing.

"Thank you," I said, smiling. _Well, _I thought, _this is a good start. If I can just work my way up..._

"So," I continued, observing the festivities, "this is what a party looks like." The guests were dancing, eating, and talking cheerfully. For a second, I secretly longed to have attended more of these growing up.

"It's warmer than I thought," Anna commented, having never attended a party herself.

"And what is that amazing smell?" I asked. We both sniffed the air in unison, eagerly taking in the unmistakable aroma of our favorite food. It reminded me of lazy Saturday afternoons, when Kai and Gerda would bring us candies after returning from the marketplace.

"Chocolate!" we both said as we faced each other, laughing. I continued watching the party, feeling my heart flutter. Was I really doing it? Was I really connecting with my sister? It looked like the day would be ending on a happy note after all.

"Your Majesty," Kai came in, introducing a rather short man, "the Duke of Weaseltown."

"Weselton!" the Duke corrected him, his thin frame immediately tensing up. Then, after regaining his composure, "The Duke of Weselton, your Majesty."

_Weselton,_ I thought, trying to remember those political lessons Mama had taught me all those years ago, _Weselton, Weselton...that's right! Weselton is one of Arendelle's closest allies. We've had a long-standing relationship for many years._

He walked up to me and Anna as Kai walked away, scowling. The Duke continued, "As your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your first dance as queen."

Immediately, I stiffened. _Dance?_ No, I couldn't dance. If anyone were to touch my ice-cold skin, my secret would be in terrible danger of being revealed. I had to make up some excuse not to dance with the guy...

My thoughts were interrupted when the Duke, without warning, pulled off a rapid series of erratic movements that only he could call "dancing." He ended with a low bow and an outstretched hand. As he bowed his head, his toupee peeled off his head, nearly falling off! Anna and I looked at each other, giggling, as the toupee hung off the Duke's head like a curtain. Then I cleared my throat and smiled politely.

"Thank you," I replied as the Duke stood upright, fixing his toupee with the motion, "only I don't dance."

"Oh," the Duke muttered, scowling. Did I offend him?

"But my sister does," I continued, gesturing towards Anna. My sister gave a hearty laugh for half a second before looking at me as if I had just stabbed her in the back.

"Wait, what?" she asked as the Duke slid up to her.

"Well," the old man said, joining his arm with hers, "lucky you!"

"Oh, I don't think-" was all Anna could say before the Duke ran into the crowd, dragging her behind him. "If you swoon, let me know, I'll catch you!" I heard him explain as Anna reached out to me.

"Sorry," I whispered as I waved to her, giggling.

It went without saying that the Duke was a terrible dancer. I watched from underneath the canopy as he tried to showcase more of his "dance moves" to a very embarrassed Anna. Out of politeness, I had to stifle my laughter as my sister tried her best to dance normally, which was pretty hard to do since the Duke was constantly stepping on her toes. On multiple occasions, his toupee came close to falling off as he bobbed his head back and forth, like a chicken. He also put his face uncomfortably close to my sister's, trying to strike up a conversation, though I couldn't quite hear what he was saying. Finally, I burst into laughter as the Duke started impersonating various animals while circling around my sister, who by this time had turned fifty shades of red. I kept laughing as he pulled my sister into a dip, which nearly brought her to the floor since she was a good foot taller than he was. As she bent backwards, she made eye contact with me. I laughed as she shot me a wry grin, before the Duke pulled her back up and jumped around, acting like some sort of monkey-bird hybrid. For a second, I almost felt bad for Anna. Almost.

When the song finished, Anna limped back to the canopy, panting as she fixed her dress. Meanwhile, I couldn't stop laughing.

"Well," I remarked through a fit of giggles, "he was sprightly!"

Anna adjusted her shoe, which the Duke had stepped on multiple times. "Especially for a man in heels!" she replied. I laughed at her comment. I couldn't believe it! Even after thirteen years of shutting her out, never speaking to her, and outright ignoring her, she was still talking to me as if I were her best friend. It was almost as if the past thirteen years had never happened.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my laughter slowly subsiding.

Anna looked at me with an expression of innocent joy. The same kind of expression I had seen in her eyes multiple times as a little kid. "Yeah," she replied, clearly having more fun than she had in years, "I've never been better. This is so nice!" Then her voice took on a more intimate tone as she continued, "I wish it could be like this all the time."

I knew exactly what she meant. "Me too," I responded as I gazed deep into my sister's blue eyes, practically feeling the warmth radiating from her body. At that moment, it felt like we had never been separated; like we grew up together, playing, laughing, and having fun like ordinary children. As I shared this moment with Anna, I noticed something in her hair. When I looked closer, I was abruptly reminded of why we had grown apart in the first place.

It was the white streak in her hair, the one from thirteen years ago. The one that had formed when I hit her with my powers. It had never gone away, and though it was mostly hidden in her elegant updo, I could still make out the small stripes of white on her strawberry-red hair.

Immediately, I was snapped back to reality. Of course it couldn't be like this all the time. I would only end up hurting her again. In fact, I thought, why was I even trying to repair our relationship? I knew that after today, I would have to go back into hiding, shutting her out like I had been for the past thirteen years. I was only setting her - and myself - up for heartbreak.

"But it can't," I found myself saying to my sister, as I turned away and closed my eyes. I didn't want to see the hurt on her face.

"Well, why not?" she asked, her voice still upbeat. She approached me with open arms. "I mean, we-"

"It just _can't_," I interrupted her in a tone a little more harshly than I had intended, turning my back to her.

Immediately, I regretted it. Why did I say that? Why did I have to act so cold towards her? I finally had a chance (probably the only one I'll ever get) to bond with my sister, and I completely ruined it. I fought the tears that started building in my eyes, as well as the magic that started rising in my chest. I was so close. So close to finally repairing the rift that had formed between us. But it couldn't happen. An emotionally charged silence hung over me and Anna.

"Excuse me for a minute," she said to me, regaining the uncomfortable formality in her voice. Even then, I could hear the pain in her words. I watched, with a heavy heart, as my sister left the canopy and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me by myself. Even though the room was filled with a crowd of people, I had never felt as alone as I did at that moment.

* * *

Even after Anna was out of sight, I stayed under the canopy, immersed in a sea of emotions. As I stood by myself, keeping my head bowed, I felt my old anxieties wash over me. Why did this keep happening to me? Whenever I tried to make amends to my relationship with Anna, I only ended up pushing her further away. The poor girl always had her hopes up, and I dashed them every single time. What's more, I hurt her at the worst possible time. Tonight was the only chance she had to interact with people, to make new friends. And I had ruined everything for her. In the past, she was able to forgive me for shutting her out. But I wasn't so sure she would be as optimistic this time around. The more I thought about it, the more certain it seemed to be: Anna would never forgive me for this. After all, every person has a breaking point. No, if I wanted to end my own suffering, there was only one thing I could possibly do: I had to tell her about my powers. I would have to explain to her why I had shut her out for the past thirteen years, and maybe, just maybe, she would find it in her heart to forgive me. But could I really do it? If I were to show my sister the real me, would she still see me the same? Or would she think of me as a monster? I groaned; my hands trembled ever so slightly at the mere thought of losing Anna.

_No,_ I thought, brushing aside my fears, _I'll tell her tonight. She's ready to know the truth._

My thoughts were interrupted by Kai, who cleared his throat and looked at me with a concerned expression. "Your Majesty?" he asked in a soft tone, "Are you all right?"

Realizing how miserable I must have looked, I straightened my back and ran a hand through my hair, pushing my emotions into a deep corner of my heart. My anxieties concerned me and me alone; there was no need for them to get in the way of business. "Of course," I replied, though my appearance may have betrayed me.

Kai continued, "There are important dignitaries from various countries here at the party. Perhaps your Majesty would be so kind as to grant them an audience? It is your father's kingdom, after all. It is important to maintain relations with Arendelle's allies, too."

I cleared my throat and adjusted my dress. "Yes, yes, of course. You can send them over."

Kai bowed and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second, suddenly remembering why this day was going to be such a challenge. Yes, the coronation itself was over, but I still had to converse with people from all over the world. Though Anna would have jumped at the chance, I wasn't quite as eager, for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, I mustered up my courage and plastered a polite, if not uncertain, smile on my face. At the moment, I had a duty to fulfill as queen, and I would have to play it out perfectly.

As I waited for the dignitaries, my mother's training ran through my mind; specifically, how to manage foreign relations, both in trade and in alliances. She had taught me that I should procure as many allies for Arendelle as I could. And to do that, I had to be a master at persuading, negotiating, and even small talk, speaking with a mixture of force, eloquence, and a dash of proper humor. I took a deep breath. _Here goes,_ I thought.

Kai stepped out of the crowd and approached me, introducing a rather tall man. "Your Majesty," the servant said, bowing, "the Baron of Versaille."

"Your Majesty," the Baron said, bowing. I curtsied politely in response. The Baron continued, "You may call me Jean, if you prefer."

"Pleased to meet you, Jean," I said. It was a nice name. And the man seemed polite enough, but his accent made it a bit hard to understand what he was saying. "How do you do?" I asked.

"Ah, very well, your Majesty, _merci._ Allow me to be the first to say congratulations on your coronation! You are very young for a queen, no?" Not knowing how to respond, I simply nodded and smiled. Jean continued, "And this is a very nice party. The food is exquisite!" He chuckled, and my stomach growled in response. Now that I thought about it, it had been quite a while since I had last eaten. "Anyway," Jean said, "I can see great things in the future of Arendelle and Versaille, your Majesty. King Agdar and I had been discussing a possible alliance for many years. Hopefully you will follow in your father's footsteps, yes? It would be such a shame if our respective kingdoms never become allies."

"Indeed, it would," I replied in a somewhat reserved tone, realizing I was still unused to talking to other people. Then I drew a blank. What else was I supposed to say? Suddenly, everything I had learned from Mama completely vanished from my mind. "Um...well, I look forward to doing business with you, Baron Jean," I said, ending the conversation on a somewhat awkward note. The man bowed and left to talk with the other guests. _Well,_ I thought, _that went well...I guess._

Before I could dwell too much on what I did wrong, another man approached me. Unlike Jean, he was a bit plump, with round glasses and a thick moustache. He bowed in front of me, and I curtsied in response.

"Ah, if it isn't little Princess Elsa, now a queen!" the man said with a slight slur, laughing cheerfully. I stared at him, shocked at his rather informal tone of voice. He must have seen the confusion on my face, because he continued, "Oh, you don't remember me, do you? Well, I honestly wouldn't blame you. The last time I saw you, you were but a wee little baby!" He chuckled, and I smiled politely. "But oh, where are my manners? Terribly sorry, your Majesty. My name is Reginald. I am the Prime Minister of Lancaster."

I nodded courteously. "Pleased to meet you, Reginald." I quickly searched my brain for a topic to converse about. Finding nothing, I decided to stick to small talk. "So, um...you said you saw me a long time ago, when I was a baby. Did you know my parents?"

A warm smile made its way onto Reginald's pudgy, red face. "Ah, yes. King Agdar and Queen Idun were very close friends of mine. They were very good people. Oh, now here's something you probably didn't know: a long time ago, they were the happiest, most carefree couple I had ever met! Your father in particular had a knack for getting himself into trouble. Surprising?"

"Yes, indeed," I replied, genuinely shocked. I tried visualizing Papa playing pranks, having parties, and getting into all sorts of mischief. But I couldn't seem to form the image in my head. Instead, I could only imagine the level-headed, kindhearted man who took his job, just like everything else in his life, with the utmost seriousness. What had caused him to change?

As if reading my thoughts, Reginald said, "But things became different when you were born. Your mother and father suddenly became the most reclusive people in the world. It was almost as if they were hiding something. And they were very protective of you, too. Idun wouldn't even let me hold you!"

Immediately, I felt a small pang of guilt. It was me. I had caused my parents to distance themselves from everyone. They only wanted to hide my powers from the world, but in doing so, they had to let go of their interpersonal relationships. How much of their lives had I ruined?

Reginald continued, "As time passed, we kept contact, but alas, we slowly drifted apart over the years." I found myself nodding in agreement; I, too, knew what it was like to slowly grow apart from a close friend. Reginald chuckled, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Ah, but here you are now. The little baby I met long ago has become Arendelle's queen. I know Agdar and Idun would be very proud if they could see you now." For a while, I thought I saw a glint of pride in his eyes, as if I were his own daughter just as much as my parents'. Touched by his words, I was just about to say "thank you" when he abruptly interrupted me.

"Well then!" he said loudly, the jolly grin making its way back to his face, "Onto more important matters. You know, it isn't often that a princess becomes queen without a...er, prior engagement, if you know what I mean." He chuckled heartily at his own words. I giggled politely in response, though I didn't quite know what he was talking about.

"So?" he continued after a brief pause, "who's it going to be?"

"Sorry?" I asked.

Reginald laughed, as if the answer should have been obvious. "Why, your _consort,_ Queen Elsa! Who's it going to be? Arendelle needs a king, you know."

Immediately, I felt my face grow warmer. I did _not_ feel comfortable talking about this! "I, uh..." I stammered, too flustered to think coherently, "I'm, uh...unattached at the moment." Hoping to drop the subject, I decided to change the topic. "So, um-"

"Well that's _perfect!"_ said Reginald, clasping his hands as his face lit up with excitement. "In that case, then, you know who I think you'll _love?_ My son, William! Yes, he's around your age, I think. You two will hit it off for sure! Who knows, he might even become Arendelle's next king. Oh, wouldn't that be delightful? I should convince him to visit Arendelle one of these days. You'll love him, I just know it! You two have so much in common. I look forward to introducing you!" He bounded away excitedly before I had a chance to say anything. I was left alone under the canopy, my face still hot.

_Great,_ I thought, _I've managed to make a fool out of myself in front of Versaille's baron, and Lancaster's prime minister expects me to marry his son._ Evidently, I still had a lot to learn about being queen. Or just talking to people, for that matter. I sighed, frustrated and disappointed in myself. How was I supposed to rule Arendelle when I could barely hold up a conversation?

I was too busy mentally kicking myself to notice the young couple that had suddenly approached me. The woman, a petite brunette who appeared to be around my age, cleared her throat, and I was snapped back to attention. "Oh," I said, slightly flustered, "um, greetings."

The woman spoke first, her short hair bobbing up and down as she curtsied excitedly. "Hello," she said in a formal, yet charismatic tone, "My name is Rapunzel. Er, _Princess_ Rapunzel." She gestured towards the man next to her. "And this is Eugene, my husband."

"How's it going, Queen Elsa?" the man asked, extending a hand towards me, "Eugene Fitzherbert. Nice to meet-" He was abruptly interrupted by Rapunzel, who had subtly delivered a swift elbow to his gut, while still smiling at me. Eugene nearly doubled over, holding his stomach in pain. "Ow! Really, Punzie?"

"Manners, Eugene!" Rapunzel whispered to her husband (though I could clearly hear her from where I was standing), "We're at a _coronation_. That's no way to address a queen!" I couldn't help but giggle at her remark. Rapunzel gave me an expression that contained a strange mixture of apology and reassurance, before renewing the smile on her face. For some reason, she looked vaguely familiar, though I was certain I had never seen her before.

"Anyway," the princess continued, "on behalf of Corona, Eugene and I would like to offer our congratulations to you!"

"Thank you," I said politely, then stopped cold. _Corona?_ Wasn't that the place where my parents were heading when they died at sea? Yes, I remembered it clearly. Papa said that he and Mama were sailing there to attend the wedding of Corona's princess. As in, the one who was standing in front of me at that very moment. Though I tried as hard as I could to conceal my emotions, I couldn't help but give a slight gasp. I must have appeared absolutely horrified, because Rapunzel and Eugene looked at me as if I were having a heart attack.

"Are you okay, your Majesty?" Eugene asked.

"Y-you," I stammered before realizing what I was saying, "it...it was your wedding..."

Eugene bit his lip uneasily as Rapunzel cocked her head to the side. "Hmm? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, your Majesty."

Eugene nudged his wife and whispered, "Psst. Remember? King, Queen, Arendelle..."

A flash of recognition manifested on Rapunzel's face, followed by guilt, then sympathy. "Oh," she whispered, more to herself than anyone, "Oh, I'm so, so, so sorry, your Majesty. If I had known there was going to be a huge storm, I-"

"No," I reassured her with a smile, though I was still shaking inside, "it's quite all right. Nothing is your fault. The past is in the past. And on behalf of my parents, as well as all of Arendelle, allow me to say congratulations on your marriage!"

Rapunzel's face lit up, her sadness quickly dying away. "Thank you!" she replied cheerfully, "Oh, you should have been there. There was a celebration that lasted for _weeks,_ and the entire town was full of sunlight and music and..." As she spoke, I realized why she seemed so familiar to me: she reminded me of Anna. They were so alike, from physical appearance to personality. Even their voices were nearly identical.

"A little late on the congratulations there, buddy," Eugene mumbled to me, followed immediately by another elbow from Rapunzel. "Ow! Seriously, will you stop that?"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel chided her husband, "Really, sometimes I don't even..."

Eugene rolled his eyes, though he was still grinning. "Alright, alright." Then he turned back to me. "A little late on the congratulations there, _your Majesty._ That better, Punzie?"

Rapunzel groaned, though she was smiling from ear to ear, evidently amused by her husband's antics. "You really must excuse him," she said to me, "He's not quite used to formal events like this."

"Oh, come on," Eugene said flippantly as I quietly giggled in the background, "you're certainly one to talk, Miss Trapped-In-A-Tower."

"Well," I said to Eugene, "that makes two of us...buddy." The three of us laughed, and ended up chatting a while longer. Surprisingly, I didn't feel awkward or uneasy. For the first time in thirteen years, I was able to have a regular conversation with regular people. As the night carried on, it looked more and more like this day wouldn't turn out so bad after all.

Or at least, that's what I tried to tell myself.


	12. Party Is Over

I spent a good deal of the night talking with various politicians, my spirits slowly lifting as the night carried on. Surprisingly, I found that I was getting rather adept at the art of political discussion. For the most part, I was able to make a somewhat favorable impression of myself. As I spoke with the dignitaries, I discovered that Mama and Papa hadn't procured many allies for Arendelle, due to their sudden reclusiveness after my birth. After they discovered that their daughter had magic powers, they shut themselves (and by extension, the entire kingdom of Arendelle) away from the world. They had the best of intentions, but their actions apparently caused the whole kingdom to suffer. That was probably why Mama told me to gain as many allies for Arendelle as possible; the kingdom, as it turned out, was in a bit of a rut at the moment. It was in need of foreign aid. Now that I was able to conceal my own secret, I could help Arendelle get back on its feet, and make up for Mama and Papa's losses.

But even as I discussed these matters with the dignitaries, I found my thoughts wandering back towards another important issue: Anna. After she left me underneath the canopy, she had disappeared into the crowd, and hadn't turned up since. Where had she gone? She couldn't have just disappeared like that. She must have been _somewhere_. I had even sent out a guard to search the castle for my sister, but he turned up empty-handed. It wasn't until about an hour later when I really started to worry about her.

Luckily, she turned up soon afterward. "Elsa!" I heard her call out from behind me. She reappeared from the crowd, followed by a rather handsome young man in royal attire. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw the Prince of Cordoba in front of me, and adjusted her posture. "Er, I mean, Queen," she corrected herself, curtsying politely. I nodded, dismissing the Prince of Cordoba, and turned around to face my sister and the strange man who stood behind her. She took the man's hand in hers and brought him forward, introducing him. "Um, may I present...Prince Hans of the Southern Isles!"

I couldn't help but notice how Prince Hans linked arms with my sister as he bowed and respectfully addressed me. I nodded politely in response, hesitant as to where this was heading.

They then proceeded to stumble on each other's words. "We would like..." they began in unison.

"...uh, your blessing," Prince Hans continued.

"...of..." Anna carried on excitedly.

"...our marriage!" they finished together, excitement plastered on both their faces.

As soon as they said the word _marriage_, my heart skipped a beat. For a full second, I completely forgot how to speak. "Marriage?" was all I could utter as I regathered my scattered thoughts.

"Yes!" Anna squealed enthusiastically, oblivious to my stunned reaction.

I tried in vain to wrap my head around the idea of it all - my sister, marrying this complete stranger? "I'm sorry, I'm confused," I replied with a fake smile, expecting her to come out and tell me that the whole thing was a joke, and that she wasn't actually going to get _married..._

But she said no such thing. Instead, she started prattling on and on about her wedding, as if it were a definite event in the future. "Well, we haven't worked out all the details ourselves. We'll need a few days to plan out the ceremony. Of course, we'll have soup roast, and ice cream, and-" I was just about to jump in and tell her what a foolish idea that was when a thought suddenly dawned on her. She turned to Hans. "Wait. Will we live here?"

I could feel my breath being knocked out of me. "Here?!" I asked incredulously, though she didn't seem to hear me.

"Absolutely!" Prince Hans replied, much to my surprise. Why was he going along with this?

"Anna-" I began, but she cut me off before I could say another word.

"Oh, we can invite all twelve of your older brothers to stay with us!" she said eagerly, her face filled with naïve joy.

_Twelve?_ No, that wouldn't work for a variety of reasons. "What?" I tried saying to her, though she was way too caught up in her excitement to hear me, "No, no, no, no-"

"Of course, we have the room," she continued, mentally planning things in that one-track mind of hers, "I don't know. Some of them must-"

"Wait," I said firmly, finally getting her to stop chattering, "Slow down. No one's brothers are staying here, no one is getting married."

Though it felt satisfying to finally get through to her, the pained reaction on my sister's face broke my heart. "Wait, what?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

My heart leaped in my chest. _I have to tell her,_ I thought, _It has to be now. She needs to know the reason behind everything - why I've shut her out, why no one else can live here, and why she can't marry this man._

I wrung my gloved hands as my eyes darted around the room nervously. "May I talk to you, please? Alone?" I asked, my voice suddenly taking a more urgent tone.

Anna backed away from me, still shocked by my response. She linked arms with Hans, obstinately refusing to leave his side. "No," she said, a hint of bitterness in her voice, "Whatever you have to say, you...you can say to both of us."

I groaned; she wasn't making this easy. But if I couldn't tell her my secret, I could at least tell her the next most important thing on my mind. "Fine," I said, regaining my emotionless façade of formality, "you can't marry a man you just met."

"You can if it's true love," Anna replied stubbornly, clinging onto Hans' arm as if her marriage depended on it.

Was that what she thought this was? True love? I had never been in love my entire life, but I was certainly able to recognize a faker when I saw one. "Anna, what do you know about true love?" I asked, exasperated.

"Well, more than you," she shot back, the hostility in her voice slowly growing, "All you know is how to shut people out!"

Her words cut me deeply. She may as well have thrust a knife into my chest. _So that's what she thinks of me,_ I thought as my heart shattered into a million pieces. The magic in my chest suddenly rose to a dangerous level, spurred on by the various emotions that had started swirling violently within me.

After a few seconds, I was able to regain my composure, but the magic in my heart was still threatening to externalize itself. I had to leave the room before it was too late. But first, I had to finish things with Anna. "You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no," I told her firmly, hearing the sadness in my own voice, "Now, excuse me." I walked past Anna, towards the exit. I needed to find some place to calm down and suppress my powers before talking to my sister again.

But I couldn't even have that. "Your Majesty," said Prince Hans, who up to this point had been watching uncomfortably, "if I may ease your-"

"No, you may not," I interrupted him, a little more harshly than I had intended, "and I...I think you should go." In fact, I thought, everyone should probably leave. The longer I stayed in the room, the more likely my powers were going to be revealed to everybody present. "The party is over. Close the gates," I said to the royal handler, who responded with a dutiful "Yes, your Majesty" and proceeded to distribute the order amongst his fellow guards.

"What?" I heard Anna whisper behind me, clearly hurt, as I started to walk away. "Elsa, no. No, wait!" she called out as she ran up behind me. But I didn't want to stop and listen to her. My powers were already in great danger of showing themselves, and I didn't want to take the risk of staying in the room any longer. But as my sister approached me from behind, I felt her warm hand wrap around my arm. And just like that, my left glove was gone. I gasped as my eyes went wide, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Whipping around frantically, I saw it hanging limp in Anna's hand.

"Give me my glove!" I demanded, desperately reaching out to grab it from her. But she held it away from me, oblivious to how important it really was.

"Elsa, please!" she begged, her voice growing more critical, "Please! I can't _live_ like this anymore!"

_Neither can I,_ I wanted to say to her as my eyes started welling up with tears. But my emotions got the best of me. "Then leave," I found myself saying, my voice weak and broken. The expression Anna gave in response was one of pure heartbreak, like I had completely shattered her entire world. Seeing the hurt on her face was too overwhelming for me. I turned around and headed back for the exit, the magic in my chest rising to a dangerously high level. I needed to get out, and as quickly as possible. I held my exposed left hand close to my body, keeping it hidden from view. _Conceal, don't feel...conceal, don't feel..._

"What did I ever do to you?!" Anna demanded, shouting angrily some distance behind me. At last, after thirteen years, the girl had finally reached her tipping point. I expected it to happen sooner or later. But this was the worst possible time for her to snap.

"Enough, Anna," I ordered weakly, looking nervously around the room. The guests had fallen silent, and were staring at me and Anna. Apparently, we were making quite a scene.

"No, why?" Anna insisted, not bothered in the slightest by the anxious whispers of the crowd, "Why do you shut me out?! Why do you shut the world out?! WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF?!"

At this point, my hand was already on the doorknob. I was almost home free. I should have taken the opportunity. I should have gone out and calmed myself down. If I had only left the room and calmed myself down, my life today would be so different. But as always, my emotions won over my mind. The chaotic storm of sadness, fear, and anger suddenly came bubbling to the top.

"I said _enough!"_ I exclaimed as I whipped around to confront Anna.

The next few moments played themselves out in slow motion. As I turned around to face my sister, I let my guard down just the tiniest bit - just a mere fraction of a second, mind you. But it was enough for the pent-up magic in my chest to rapidly make its way up my left arm...and into my exposed hand. I desperately tried to direct the magic back into my heart, but it was too late. I watched helplessly as glowing, blue waves of magic coursed through my body and formed in the air. The magic shot in an outwards arc, causing large icicles to spring up from the ground and nearly injure the party guests.

_No. Please, no. _A dreadful silence ensued. It seemed to last for hours. I wished, with every fiber of my being, that I could somehow take it all back. I couldn't hear anything but the sound of my own heartbeat as I nervously scanned over the faces of the crowd. Some of them were scared, and some were hostile. And every single one of them had just witnessed me unleashing my powers. The Duke of Weselton mumbled something to his bodyguards, though I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. My vision started blurring as my legs grew weaker. And then I saw her. Anna. In the midst of the shocked crowd, she stood by herself, an expression of horror on her face as she stared right at me. Not at the jagged mass of icicles that had captured everyone's attention, but directly at me.

"Elsa..." she seemed to whisper, finally realizing why I had acted the way I did for the past thirteen years. And then one thought became clearer than anything else.

_I can't stay here any longer._

Next thing I knew, I was running down the castle's dark halls. The shadows seemed to close in on me as I desperately scrambled for the exit, leaving a white trail of ice behind me. But as I burst through the castle doors and into the courtyard, I encountered a vast crowd standing outside, clapping and cheering for me. They were completely oblivious to what had happened inside. But even so, I knew it would only be a matter of time before they figured out. I looked back and saw some of the Duke of Weselton's bodyguards chasing after me. There was no choice but to press forward. Covering my exposed hand, I reluctantly fled into the courtyard, weaving my way between the mass of people who had come to see me. As I ran, I was surrounded on all sides by a sea of citizens, all of them shouting undeserved praises.

"Your Majesty," said a woman holding a baby, "are you all right?"

_No,_ I silently mouthed as I backed away. There was no escape route in sight, as the crowd was blocking my way out. As I inched backwards, I accidentally bumped against one of the fountains. To steady myself, I gripped the edge of the fountain uneasily. But my heart leaped as I realized that I had gripped it with my exposed hand. Looking back reluctantly, I watched through wide eyes as the fountain's elegant streams of water froze over, transforming into a spiked, intimidating ice structure. Suddenly, the night fell silent, and the entire crowd gasped collectively. _No, please!_ I wanted to say to them, but I couldn't seem to speak. My voice had given up on me.

"There she is!" I heard someone yell. My eyes darted towards the castle doors to see the Duke of Weselton, his bodyguards at his side. "Stop her!" he ordered, pointing at me threateningly.

I raised my hands in defense. I was not a criminal! "Please, just stay away from me!" I pleaded, "Just stay away-"

But before I could finish my sentence, the chaotic, swirling mass of magic in my heart traveled up my arms and into my hands, causing a wave of ice to shoot out towards the Duke. It narrowly missed him, but it froze the floor he stood on, causing him and his bodyguards to slip and fall, hitting their heads on the wooden floor. The crowd gasped as the Duke straightened his glasses, looking at me as if I had just killed someone.

"Monster," he called me, pointing at me, "Monster!" I looked at my hands, cursing my rotten luck. Why, oh why did I have to lose control at the worst of times? I watched helplessly as the crowd started backing away from me, protecting their children. The woman from before held her baby close to her, as if it my very presence was endangering his life. I was on the verge of tears as the people of Arendelle drew back from their queen. Throughout the mess of thoughts swirling around in my frayed head, one fact became clear: _I can't stay in Arendelle any longer._

With a strange mixture of fear and determination, I rushed forward through the crowd, making my way towards the castle gates. The people backed away from me fearfully, providing a path through which I could escape. But even as I ran out the castle gates, I knew I was being chased.

"Elsa!" I heard Anna call out from behind me. But the mere sound of her voice only increased my stress tenfold. Small sheets of ice started blossoming on the ground with every step I took. "Elsa!" she called out again, exiting the castle gates. Forcing myself not to look back, I kept running. But after some time, I stopped dead in my tracks. But it wasn't the sound of Anna's voice that had stopped me. It was the fjord that enclosed Arendelle. The entire castle was surrounded by water, and I had no way around that.

I looked down at the water uneasily. How would I ever get across? There was no way for me to escape. But at that moment, Anna came into sight. "Wait, please!" she called out. I turned around, only to see that she was quickly gaining on me. I had to find a way out.

As I backed away from my sister, small sheets of ice formed under my footsteps. Some of the ice extended past the ground, and onto the water. I gasped in alarm, looking at the small piece of ice that was floating steadily on the fjord. _Could I really...?_ I carefully set my foot on the water...and gasped as a small pad of ice formed, providing a surface on which I could run. Without wasting a second thought, I made my way onto the fjord, the water under my feet freezing into solid ice with every step I took. And I ran. I didn't think about what I was doing, I didn't allow myself to form any regrets. I just kept my eyes forward, and ran as fast as I possibly could.

I sprinted across the fjord and made my way into the wilderness on the other side. I didn't look back. I couldn't look back. I only knew that I would have to leave Arendelle forever. I didn't know where I was heading, or how long I would keep running. As I made my way into the snowy mountains beyond, all I could think was that I had to get as far away from Arendelle as possible.

* * *

**And that's that. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Drop a review, and don't forget to spread this story to everyone: friends, family, pets, you get the idea. Thank y'all for everything!**


	13. Elsa the Snow Queen

_"Conceal, don't feel," Papa gently said, kneeling down and holding my tiny, gloved hand in his. He looked me in the eyes and smiled with all the love of a father towards his troubled daughter. "Don't let it show. Can you promise me that you'll never let anyone know about our little secret?"_

_"I promise, Papa," I responded with a cheerful smile._

* * *

I wiped a hand across my wet face as I ran further and further into the vast, empty night, doing little to clear the tears from my blurred vision.

* * *

_"Be the good girl you always have to be," Mama reminded me, caressing my cheeks with all the tenderness of a mother towards her lost child. She kissed me on the forehead and set my storybook on my side table, wishing me goodnight._

_"Goodnight, Mama," I called out across the room, before pulling the covers over my eyes and snuggling into my warm, comfortable bed._

* * *

I was lost. So hopelessly lost. And lonely. My only companions were the myriad snowflakes that relentlessly buffeted my face as I ran further into the unknown darkness that lay ahead.

* * *

_"Elsa?" said my sister, peering through the lockhole in my bedroom door. "Elsa, are you in there?" She knocked on my door with all the eagerness of a little child longing to see her long-lost sister. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

* * *

Unable to take any of it anymore, I stopped in my tracks and fell to my knees. I buried my face in my hands and wept, releasing all the misery I had been holding in for the past thirteen years. Throughout the swirling storm of rampant thoughts in my head, a flurry of questions rushed to the forefront. Why, oh why did I have to break my promise to Mama and Papa? How did I let things get this bad? There would be no coming back from this. I've failed everyone. Mama and Papa, Anna, the people of Arendelle - they all expected so much of me. But I couldn't rise to the challenge. I was a failure. In my state of psychological breakdown, I swore I heard my father's stinging rebukes faintly echoing throughout the night.

"How could you, Elsa?" he seemed to say, "You promised never to reveal your powers! What happened to that promise? What happened to everything I taught you?" I only broke down further, my desperate cries echoing into the silent night. I could only listen helplessly as my father continued, "Everything we worked so hard to hide...you've ruined it all. You're no queen of Arendelle. And you're certainly no daughter of mine."

"I'm sorry, Papa," I whispered shakily into the cold, bleak air, more to myself than anyone, "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry, Anna. I tried. I really did. But...I was too weak. I couldn't do it."

Realizing that I was talking to nobody, I bowed my head in defeat, dug my hands into the freezing snow, and wept, sinking deeper into despair. It was all so unfair! What had I ever done to deserve this? All my life, I had always tried my best to be a good girl, to be the person Mama and Papa wanted me to be. Every single waking moment was spent tirelessly following their instructions. In doing so, I had sacrificed everything - my childhood, my relationship with Anna, my happiness. But where did that all get me? Alone, trapped in my room, isolated from the world by a powerful secret that I couldn't even contain. Even then, things kept spiraling downwards. My sister had given up on me. My parents had died, leaving me to fend for myself. I had accidentally revealed my powers to the world, exposing everything Mama and Papa had worked so hard to hide. And now here I was, alone on this mountain, with no one to rely on. I was all alone. Never before had I experienced such a profound level of loneliness. I thought I was alone when I first started shutting myself away from the world. And again when Mama and Papa died. But now, as I stood by myself in the frigid solitude of this cursed mountain, I finally realized what it was like to be truly, utterly, devastatingly alone. Without a soul in the world to care for you, to help you get back on your feet, to comfort you when you were in the depths of despair.

It was times like these when Papa would tell me to get up, wipe my own tears, and keep walking. He was always a tough man to please, my father. In his busy life, he had little tolerance for emotion. And so, as if to honor some postmortem wish, I reluctantly decided to get up and move forward. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I shakily stood up, brushed the snow off my dress, and started walking, my head still reeling from the events that had played themselves out earlier that night. My mind, just like the blizzard that swirled around me, started clearing just the tiniest bit as I advanced forward, treading lightly through the foot-deep layer of snow. As my sobs hesitantly died away, I decided to check my surroundings, having no idea where all that running had taken me.

Cold, blank snow covered the ground, stretching out over the horizon. There wasn't a single footprint in sight; just me, myself, and I, all alone in this dismal field of white. Up above, eerie, shapeless forms danced indistinctly across the sky as the Northern Lights put on their nightly show. The frosty wind was howling and swirling like the mess of emotions inside me. And in the middle of it all, this lifeless expanse of solitude, stood me, a fallen queen in my own little kingdom of isolation.

After walking a bit further, I realized that I was on the North Mountain, which overlooked Arendelle. But I was on the other side of the mountain. Arendelle, just like the life I once lived, was nowhere to be seen. There would be no going back to either. Where had I gone wrong? I was only following the instructions my parents had so lovingly given me. But I still couldn't keep it in, even though I had tried.

In the deafening silence that filled the cold air, I had plenty of time to think to myself. I recalled what I had told myself earlier that morning. "Don't let them in, don't let them see," I said to myself, solemnly replaying the directions I had failed to follow. Then, remembering my parents, "Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them know."

_Well,_ I thought with a scowl, _now they know. So now what?_

It was a question that I hadn't even thought of. I was too busy running, concentrating on escaping, that I hadn't paid much thought to the future. What would I be doing for the rest of my life? I had just revealed my deepest, darkest secret, and in doing so scandalized an entire kingdom. And in running off the way I did, I knew it was only a matter of time before people would start hunting me down. _What should I do now?_ I thought, mulling over the options,_ I suppose I could spend the rest of my life on this mountain, waiting patiently for death. Or, perhaps I could travel to another country and beg for hospitality, like a miserable suppliant. _

_Or, _I mused, my thoughts unexpectedly taking a darker tone, _I could end it all right here, right now._

Realizing how dismal my thoughts had suddenly grown, I stopped cold in my tracks. "No," I said out loud, putting the idea down before it had a chance to develop. There would be none of that. But the question remained: what should I do, now that my old life was essentially over?

As I mulled over the options, an icy feeling rose in my chest. It was a feeling that, over the course of thirteen years, I had come to fear and loathe. I instinctively pushed it down into a deep corner of my heart, as I had been doing for most of my life. Yet, as I stood by myself in the solitude of the North Mountain, a question came to mind: what's the point? There was no one to hide my secret from in this lonely mountain, and everyone already knew about my powers anyway. Suppressing my powers any further would only cause me unnecessary harm. Reluctantly, I let my emotional barriers down, knowing full well that I was throwing away everything Mama and Papa had taught me. A strange sense of relief flooded my body as the magic in my chest to traveled out of my heart and spread into my limbs, refreshing and invigorating me from the inside out. And then, for the first time in forever, a feeling of great peace unexpectedly came over me. For the past thirteen years, I had been struggling desperately to suppress my magic, this integral part of me that made me who I am. Now that I was no longer held down by this burden - this destructive attempt to conceal something that could never be concealed - I finally felt at peace, like I was finally in tune with my magic. It was as if in that single moment, my magic became a part of me, rather than a problem to fight against.

As I stood by myself, taking pleasure in this new feeling, a realization dawned on me: I was all alone. Of course, I knew I had been viewing that undeniable fact as a tragic piece of misfortune. But in light of my recently reawakened powers, this solitude took on a whole new meaning. My time up on this mountain carried with it endless possibilities - including the chance to start anew. To throw away my old life and start fresh. As I looked around, checking my surroundings, the once bleak-looking mountain looked so much different, like a blank slate waiting for me to make my move. My heart racing with a mixture of apprehension and excitement, I knew what I had to do.

_Let it go,_ I thought, smiling.

Let it go. The words sounded strange, almost foreign to me. For the past thirteen years, I had sacrificed everything in a sad attempt to conform to the expectations of society. During that time, I had gathered a seemingly endless amount of fears, responsibilities, and hardships. The simple act of letting it all go was something that had never occurred to me. Yet, as I stood by myself in the cool, quiet air of the North Mountain, it only seemed like the most natural way to go. But despite the feeling of optimism that was slowly growing inside me, I felt that something was holding me back. Something that had been with me all my life, a reminder of the struggles and misfortunes that had plagued me for so long. Looking down at my hands, I realized what it was. The gloves. Or rather, the single glove that remained on my right hand. I had been wearing them since childhood, during a time when I was desperately (and unsuccessfully) trying to suppress my powers. To me, the very act of wearing them was an act of self-harm, representing a time when I was a miserable little girl, trapped in her room.

And so, acting on the small feeling of freedom my powers had suddenly granted me, I eagerly slipped the remaining glove off my right hand and, without a second thought, threw it up into the air, watching contentedly as the wind carried it out of sight. As the teal glove sailed away into the dark night, carried by the swirling current of the wind, the small grin on my face broke out into a full smile. At last, after thirteen years, the gloves had finally been removed. It was the first step in a journey that would come to change me forever.

In my state of excitement, I was eager to do something more. Simply removing my gloves was a good first step, but surely I could go further. As if in response, the refreshing, cold sensation in my body grew to a whole new level. It was as if my magic was begging to be released. And so, acting purely on instinct, I held up my left hand and concentrated on the magic within my heart.

"Let it go," I said to myself, mentally clearing up any traces of uneasiness that remained within me. And then, for the first time in thirteen whole years, I deliberately summoned my powers, directing them into my left palm. I smiled, a small surge of pleasure shooting through my body, as a miniature wave of glowing, blue snowflakes materialized above my open hand. Fascinated with how different it felt to purposely use my magic, instead of fighting against it, I decided to try it again. Opening up my right hand, I once again concentrated on the icy magic that rested in my heart. Just like before, the same pleasurable feeling rose in my body as the magic traveled up my arm and into my right palm, summoning a tiny flurry of sparkling, blue magic.

I nearly laughed to myself, a blissful feeling rapidly escalating inside me. How different this was! Instead of suppressing my magic, I was finally synchronized with it, and it felt amazing to finally be able to use it without fear. At long last, I was in my natural element.

_What else can I do?_ I thought, looking around. Acting on my feelings alone, I waved my hands in circles as icy magic swirled within my chest. In response, the nearby snow rose from the ground and concentrated around a spot to my left, creating a small, spinning vortex. With a few more waves of my hand, the snow gathered together and started forming distinct shapes. Eventually, the shapes assembled themselves, forming a diminutive snowman. Smiling, I looked at my freshly formed creation and allowed an imperceptible giggle to make its way out of my lips before continuing to walk forth.

Wanting to test my powers out further, I raised my left hand into the air and shot a swirling stream of magic into the night sky. I watched, fascinated, as the glistening snowflakes hung gently in the cool air, as if gravity had no effect on them. Smiling, I launched another wave of snow, with my right hand this time. The same pleasurable feeling rose within me as the snowflakes sailed smoothly into the air, spiraling into lovely, curled patterns as they traveled further into the night sky. Just like before, the snowflakes hovered beautifully in the air, twinkling like stars in the sky. Then, I brought my arms close to my chest, a swirling flurry of magic concentrating into my heart, and threw my hands outward, spreading my powers into the air around me. In response, the snowflakes that hovered peacefully in the air floated gently to the ground, a glistening shower of multifaceted beauty. I took some time to appreciate the magnificence of my powers before deciding to take things a bit further.

I threw my arms to the side, releasing a small blast of icy magic that swirled beautifully in the wind upon hitting the mountainside. With every movement I took, every little wave of magic that swirled within me, it started to feel more and more like my life in Arendelle was nothing but a bad dream - one that I was finally waking up from. Those countless days trapped in my room, those myriad expectations and responsibilities that had been heaped upon me, those people who had just witnessed my deepest, darkest secret - they were all gone. Up here on this mountain, there was nothing they could do to harm me.

_I don't care what they're going to say,_ I thought, throwing another blast of magic to my left. I watched with a satisfied smile as it hit the mountainside and swirled in the wind, forming beautiful, curled patterns of snow that undulated in the cool air like waves on a beach. _Let them hate me. Let them spurn me. Let them spread their lies. I don't care. I simply don't care anymore. I'm free now!_

I continued walking up the mountain, knowingly (and, I was proud to admit, willingly) getting ever-further from my old home. As I made my way forward, the wind started picking up, causing my cape to start tugging uncomfortably at my neck. Without a second thought, I wrapped my fingers around the brooch and unfastened the whole thing in one graceful movement, watching contentedly as the wind carried the cape off into the night sky.

_I won't be needing that anyway,_ I thought with a grin, as the cape sailed off into the distance, out of sight and out of mind.

Immediately, I felt like a large chunk of my troubles - the ones that had plagued me for thirteen years - had just been removed. As if in response to my emotions, the howling wind gradually turned into a light breeze, brushing soothingly against my face. As I continued walking up the mountain, my footsteps began feeling lighter. And I mean that quite literally - looking back, I saw that I wasn't leaving any more footprints on the snow. As it turned out, I was no longer treading through it with heavy footsteps; I was actually walking on top of it, like a soft carpet. Snow had become my element. Nothing, not even ankle-deep snow, was in my way anymore.

Who knew, throughout all these years, that all I ever needed was a bit of distance from everything? Suddenly, everything seemed so small to me. I started wondering why I was even so worried in the first place. All those fears and troubles that had controlled me for the past thirteen years were gone now; this was my chance to shine, to finally be the person I wanted to be.

_Just try to get me now,_ I thought, turning around and noticing the mountain's peak, towering into the night sky. For some reason, I felt like I just _had_ to get up there. Perhaps it was the forces of fate, subtly telling me where to go next. Or perhaps it was just a gut feeling. Whatever it was, I decided to make my way up to the mountaintop, not stopping to form any regrets.

Laughing to myself, I broke out into an excited run, feeling the cool mountain air brush against my face. I stopped short when I noticed a large gully that stood between me and the mountain's summit. In order for me to reach my destination, I would have to find a way to cross the gaping chasm and make my way onto the higher ground on the other side.

_It's no problem,_ I thought, excited to use my reawakened powers once more. I felt like I could do anything. _It's time to see what I can do._

I sucked in a breath and threw my arms forward. A wave of magic rushed through my body and out my arms, causing the same cool sensation to rise within me as it flowed out of my hands. Before I knew it, a partially-formed, crude staircase, laden with uneven ice crystals, had formed at the edge of the canyon, extending upwards from the snowy ground. Smiling, I ran towards my creation, looking over it contentedly.

_It's nice, but I can do better,_ I thought, observing the white, jagged ice crystals that randomly dotted the incomplete staircase. But what could I do to fix it? Acting on instinct, I gingerly lifted my foot and set it on the first stair, not knowing what to expect. As soon as my foot touched the stair, the rough, white crystals on the first step melted away in a flash of blue light, revealing a finely polished, elegantly designed stair, glowing blue with magic. My heart nearly bounded with joy as I looked up towards the mountain peak.

_This will be fun,_ I thought.

Laughing, I broke into an excited run up the staircase, making my way towards the summit. Each individual stair turned into a refined, translucent step as I ran forward, leaving a series of glowing, glass-like stairs behind me. I synthesized new steps ahead of me as I climbed higher, heading ever closer towards the summit, and a life of freedom. With every step I took, a new wave of cool pleasure rose within me, reinvigorating me and lifting my spirits even higher. By the time I reached the other side, I felt like I was on top of the world, like I had risen above all the troubles and fears that had afflicted me my entire life. There was nothing in the world that could stop me now.

_I did it!_ I thought, unable to wipe the smile off my face, _I reached the mountain peak! What now?_ From atop the North Mountain, I had a spectacular view of the open valley below. As I gazed in wonder at the tiny, firelit villages that dotted the landscape before me, the answer to my question became marvelously clear.

_Here I'll stay,_ I thought, looking up into the clear night sky, _this is where I'll make my stand._

And in that moment, I knew exactly what to do.

With a smile of pure bliss, I declared my freedom to the world as I stomped my foot hard on the snowy ground, causing an icy, glowing snowflake pattern, around 60 feet in diameter, to blossom forth. It would be the foundation for something great.

I took a deep breath and checked my surroundings, preparing to unleash my powers in their full strength. Holding nothing back, I summoned every last bit of magic I had in me, and slowly raised my arms, directing my powers into the giant snowflake I stood on. In response, the ground started to rumble as massive spires of ice slowly rose from beneath me, surrounding the snowflake I stood on. The colossal spires lifted the snowflake higher as walls of ice gradually materialized between them, enclosing me on all sides. Elegant ice structures materialized on the ground as my immense creation began taking shape around me. Throwing my arms down, I sent a powerful wave of magic in all directions, turning the spires around me into sparkling, glass-like columns of ice, glowing blue with magical energy. Waving my hand around, I directed my magic into the icy walls, giving them a beautiful indigo hue. I could feel my own heart pounding with excitement as I gazed in wonder at the gorgeous structure that was slowly forming around me. Then, waving my hand downward, I poured my magic into the giant snowflake I stood on, causing it to glow a deep violet color, before throwing my arms upward, releasing my powers from the ground and into the air. The icy structures around me glowed blue with sparkling magic as my powers traversed the walls and columns of my creation, causing a glittering shower of snow to occupy the air around me. Powerful waves of magic coursed through my body and into the air as structures connected, complicated patterns formed, and gorgeous formations crystallized spontaneously in a brilliant flurry of creative release. High above me, a pyramidal ceiling took shape, followed by the sparkling crystallization of an ornate, snowflake-shaped chandelier that refracted and reflected the light given off by the illuminated pillars. Elegant patterns of light danced across the glass-like walls as my grand creation finally reached its glorious completion.

At last, it was finished. Towering hundreds of feet above me, surrounding me on all sides, was a gigantic castle, made solely of ice. It was my crowning achievement. Here, I decided, I would be living for the rest of my life. The empty halls translated my emotions into gorgeous patterns of blue light that permeated the translucent walls. Now, there was just one thing left to do.

I plucked the crown off my head and looked at it, almost in contempt. This tiara was a representation of my homeland, my family, and the people I had sworn to protect and govern. But to me, it was a symbol of the miserable life I had been forced to live down in Arendelle. A life that, just like everything else, I would be leaving behind. _There'll be no more of that,_ I thought, a determined grin forming on my face, _that life is behind me._

I held the crown up one last time, pouring the last of my anxieties into it. _No more hiding,_ I thought,_ No more seclusion. No more repression. The past is in the past. Just let it all go._ And then, in what became my crowning moment of freedom, I flung the tiara, along with the rest of my fears, out of sight and out of mind. I hadn't worn the thing for twenty-four hours, and I was already throwing it away - a sure sign that I was never meant to wear it.

_Now,_ I thought, _it's time for the finishing touch._

I grabbed the bun on the back of my head and gave it a good, swift pull, causing it to fall apart into a loose, wavy braid that cascaded brilliantly behind me. As I released my updo, my long, feathery bangs fell in front of my face, brushing softly against my forehead. With a single stroke of my hand, I swept my bangs up to the top of my head, and pushed my braid over my left shoulder, sprinkling it with a few small snowflakes. I smiled, gazing contentedly at my reflection in the glass-like walls.

Then, in my final act of freedom, I concentrated and summoned my powers one last time, directing them towards my clothing. In response, my black, uncomfortable formal shoes transformed into brilliant, silver heels. Meanwhile, a sparkling wave of magic slowly moved up my dress, starting from the skirt upwards. I felt the refreshing coolness of my powers move up my body as my stiff, prim-and-proper coronation dress slowly transformed into a far more comfortable, form-fitting dress. It featured a thigh-high slit that ran up the right side of the long, crystal-blue skirt, a lower shoulderline, and a glittering bodice that sported various shades of blue. Finally, waving my arms down, I created a new cape for myself, replacing the one I had discarded earlier. It was intricately woven from multiple, fiber-like ice crystals, and decorated with large, snowflake-shaped patterns.

At last, my transformation was complete. At that moment, I was no longer the miserable little girl who had spent her life shackled by the confines of fear and repression. That girl was long gone, and would never be coming back.

I strode with poise onto my newly created balcony, stepping into the radiant light of the newly risen sun. As I gazed in triumph at the majestic landscape spread out below me, I raised my arms and shouted at the top of my lungs, proclaiming my newfound independence to the world.

Here I would be safe. Here I would be free. Here I could be who I wanted to be, without fear of what others would do or say. The former queen of Arendelle was dead. The fears and anxieties that once controlled my life held no more power over me. I was no longer Elsa, the fearful princess of Arendelle, isolated from the world by a secret she could never hope to contain. I was someone else entirely. Someone who, against all odds, let go of her fears, embraced her powers, and created a new life for herself. At long last, I was finally free.

And that, my dear reader, is how I became Elsa the Snow Queen.


	14. The First Day of Freedom

**Olá! TariaNalu here! Great news: After two very frustrating months, I've managed to get my writing software fixed! So I guess that means I'm back in business. It's so great to see you guys again! I've really missed the FanFiction community. So, as promised, here it is! The dreaded chapter that I've had so much trouble creating! I've decided to split it into two chapters, since it's so long. Sorry it took a while, and I hope you enjoy it! ****Also, don't forget to drop a review on your way out! :)**

* * *

Now, if you know the story of my sister, you would know that at that very moment, Princess Anna of Arendelle was desperately traversing the snowy wilderness in a (rather unsuccessful) attempt to find me. As it turned out, she had set out to find me on the very night I left Arendelle. She had spent the rest of the night and the entirety of the next day trying to find me, not stopping once to rest or check her surroundings. During that time, she fought wolves, jumped a cliff, awkwardly conversed with a very peculiar storeowner, encountered a talking snowman, and met her future husband (no, not Hans...more on that later). Don't worry, when she told me the story a few days later, the tale sounded as crazy to me as it probably does to you.

But what most people tend to overlook is that I had an entire day to myself. Yes, while Anna was busy trudging through the treacherous North Mountain, I was relaxing in my newly created home, free at last. But, as I was soon to learn, "freedom" is an ever-changing term. It carries different meanings for different people. Indeed, one person's definition of freedom can change the very next day, as mine did. But if you, my dear reader, were to ask me what I did during my first day of "freedom," I would simply respond with a casual shrug and a dismissive grin. Even today, a full year after the events I write of, I still haven't quite gotten around to telling anyone just what I was doing up in my castle. Anna seems to be particularly insistent on finding out what I did, but even she has been kept in the dark. Perhaps it was to save her from disappointment (as the tale is a lot less exciting than she thinks it is), or perhaps I simply want to keep this private moment - this span of twenty-four hours that I had solely to myself - for my own. But since this book is my official memoir, and not some sort of personal diary, I feel somewhat compelled to recount my experience in my ice palace.

I just hope Anna doesn't read this. I'd hate to ruin the mystery for her.

* * *

The cool air was silent. Peaceful. Nothing but the sound of my own breathing. The sun had just risen over the horizon, giving a faint, blue tint to the pink sky. There I stood, alone on my balcony, appreciating the view in peace. At last, after thirteen years of living in misery, I was finally able to have a peaceful moment to myself. As I watched the sunrise, gradually drifting off into my private little world, I continually expected someone to ruin my moment. Perhaps a knock on the door, or a servant calling for my attention. But, as I had to remind myself, I was all alone. There was no one to disturb me, no one to interrupt me, no one to ask me to build a snowman. Just me, myself, and I, all alone in my palace of ice.

_This is nice,_ I thought, calmly looking over at the mountainous horizon. _I can finally breathe._ I stood on the balcony, eagerly soaking in the cool mountain air, as the sun gradually rose higher. Far below me, the snowy valley was silent. Not a sound, save the faint whistle of the cool, mountainous breeze. As the pink sky slowly changed into a pale blue, I found myself yawning. At around this time in the castle, the servants would be bustling about, preparing a hot morning bath and a warm plate of breakfast. Kai would probably be knocking on my door, too. "Your Majesty," he would say, "it's time to get up. We've prepared a nice, hot bath for you to start your day!" And with that, I would (reluctantly) get out of bed, ready to go through another day.

But I realized that I had taken these little things for granted. Out here on the North Mountain, everything was absolutely silent. My only companion was the gentle wind that brushed playfully against my ear, slowly growing stronger as the hours went by. Sure, standing out here was nice; I finally had a moment to myself. In fact, I had all the time in the world to stand out here and appreciate the solitude. But at this point, a little bit of noise - or for that matter, any little sign that I wasn't all alone - would have been much appreciated. But, as it was, I really _was_ all alone, and no such sign came to me. I sighed, and as the sun hung nearly directly overhead, I slipped back into the castle and closed the doors behind me, shutting out the cold wind that had just started to pick up.

And there I stood. Alone. I looked around, trying to find something - or, by some remote chance, someone - that could distract me from my troubles. Translucent, blue walls towered above me, refracting the sunlight into brilliant patterns that were scattered on the floor. Tall, glass-like pillars stood in the grand hallways. Their grandeur and beauty were an illustrious reminder of just how powerful I really was. But there was no one around to admire the sights. I was literally standing in the midst of my greatest creation, but there was no one to share it with. I sighed, looking around discontentedly.

"Get used to it," I said out loud to myself. "It's going to be like this for the rest of your life." Somehow, I couldn't take comfort in the thought. I figured I would only be talking to myself more and more in this incredible cold, until the day I die. The thought of it sent a shiver up my spine.

I started pacing absentmindedly around the castle in a rather useless attempt to distract myself from my worries. As I walked pensively down the sunlit halls, I couldn't help but think about my old life down in Arendelle. Living in a castle, ice skating with Anna, touring the town with Papa and Mama - looking back, it was these little moments, the times I spent with the ones I loved most, that went on to become my fondest memories. As I slowly made my way towards the castle's main hall, my eyes started welling up with tears as I realized the truth: I missed everyone. Mama, Papa, Anna, even the servants. I missed them more than anything else in the world. But, as I had to remind myself, that was all in my past. It was time to face the future, and leave that all behind.

But as I was soon to learn, letting go of the past can be a very difficult thing. And sometimes, you just might need your past to point you in the right direction.

I stood by myself in the main hall, eyeing the tall, glass-like throne in front of me. The one I had created for myself the previous night. It was quite slender, with a tall back that featured several intricate patterns that culminated in a single, glistening snowflake design at the top. I had specifically built the throne to distinguish myself as the Snow Queen. And things would have been just fine like that, if it weren't for the other throne that stood right next to it. Yes, in my moment of near-euphoric creativity last night, I had inadvertently created a second throne beside my own. I'm not quite sure why I did it. I guess I was subconsciously suggesting to myself that I would have someone to share this new life with, someone to be my right hand. But I knew that such a notion was impossible to realize. The position of Snow Queen was a solitary position; I would never have a right-hand man.

With a disappointed sigh, I decided to melt the second throne. Seeing it was just a painful reminder of my solitude. But as I waved my hands around, attempting to summon my magic, I realized that I didn't know how to melt my creations. If I did, I probably would have discovered the answer to the mystery that had haunted me my whole life, the elusive secret to controlling my powers. I frowned ever so slightly.

_I guess I'll always have room for others,_ I thought. The idea was bittersweet.

At that moment, something deep within me started aching. I put a hand to my growling stomach and groaned, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. When was the last time I had eaten anything? I tried thinking back to the previous day. As far as I remembered, the last thing I had eaten was a small morsel of chocolate from my coronation party. I had secretly managed to nab one from the dessert table while I was talking with the various dignitaries. Even back then, I was already starving, as I had eaten next to nothing the whole day. Gerda had told me to avoid food as much as possible, so as to keep my figure as slim (or "presentable," as she called it) as possible. Of course, I knew a quick snack here and there couldn't possibly hurt, so I was able to grab a few bites during the coronation party. But that was back in Arendelle. Out here in the North Mountain, I was hungrier than ever. But the problem wasn't that I was holding back from eating anything; the problem was that there was absolutely nothing to eat. My stomach growled again, and a small wave of dull pain coursed through my body. I didn't really think this through, did I?

I walked up to my throne and, remembering that no one was watching, plopped onto it in a very un-ladylike fashion, somehow convincing myself that my problems would take care of themselves. Of course, I knew I was deluding myself. I knew that with every passing minute, I was only digging myself deeper into a pit of lies and regrets. And I knew that the path I was walking would ultimately lead to my own undoing. But just for once, I wanted to taste what it was like to be free, to finally break away from the shackles that I had worn my whole life. I wanted to prove to the world - and more importantly, to myself - that I was more than just the scared little girl who spent her life trapped in her room. I wanted to prove how strong I really was. And I believed I could do that by breaking free of my old life, and creating a new one for myself. And so I continued to pull the wool over my own eyes, refusing to see the consequences of my own actions.

As I sat by myself, twirling my braid around my finger in boredom, I couldn't help but fixate my gaze on the empty throne that unceremoniously stood to my right. The very sight of it caused memories of my past to keep springing up in my head. One in particular stood out among the rest.


	15. Beginnings, Part Two

Long, long ago, there was a time when I was completely content with my own life. It was a much simpler time, a time when I wasn't burdened by responsibilities, powers, and dark secrets. It was a time when I was just learning how to be a sister.

I was only three years old when Anna was born. But despite my age, I was quite determined to be the best sister ever. I had made a promise to Mama and Papa - a promise that I hope will never be broken - that I would take care of Anna, and place her above everything else in my life. I would be her shoulder to cry on, her friend to celebrate with, her source of guidance in times of trouble. In short, I made a promise to be to Anna what Mama and Papa were to me.

Of course, all that was easier said than done. As little Anna grew up, she developed a rather nasty habit of whining, complaining, and screaming at the top of her lungs for no good reason. Now, it's true that this sort of behavior was quite common in little girls her age. But for children like Anna, who spent her days growing up in the presence of royalty, this was simply unacceptable. Mama and Papa couldn't do much about this behavior, since they were often too busy with work to tend to my sister. And so, deciding to fulfill my promise to Mama and Papa, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I decided to teach Anna how to act like a true princess.

I still remember the day I met up with my sister. There she sat, in the middle of the garden, playing with some toys that I used to have when I was her age. Off beneath a tree, a still-young Gerda sat, her gaze shifting between the book in her lap and the little princess sitting on the grass. I walked into the garden carrying a large pile of heavy books, slowly making my way towards Anna. Upon seeing me, Anna tilted her head curiously.

I dropped the books next to her with a heavy _thud!_ Anna looked at the pile of books in front of her for a while before returning her attention to her toys.

"Hey, Anna," I said, panting.

She looked at me with an expression that seemed to say "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy here?" But instead of voicing disappointment, she pointed a tiny little finger towards the dusty volumes that lay on the ground and simply said, "Books."

I smiled. At least I had her attention. "That's right, Anna. Books." I picked one up, showing her an illustration of a fairy-tale princess. "See this, Anna? This is a princess."

"Pwin...cess?"

"That's right. That's what you are, Anna. You're a princess!"

"Pwincess!"

I chuckled to myself. "Yup. But it isn't enough to simply _be_ a princess, you know. You have to act like one too."

"Pwincess?"

I paused for a while. "Yes, Anna. You're a princess. And a princess like you doesn't go around crying and screaming. A princess is always quiet, and she always knows her place. She doesn't scream, she doesn't yell, she doesn't complain when things don't go her way. A real princess is full of charm and grace, and she's always super kind, and calm, and caring. Princesses don't run around and climb trees, they don't sweat, and they never, _ever _mention underwear. Got all that?"

Anna stared at me for a while, her expression completely blank. Then she raised her arms above her head and yelled, "Pwincess!"

I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought.

As the days went by, I continued trying to teach Anna how to be a princess. I showed her the ins and outs of palace life, how to behave in front of people, and what clothes she should be wearing. In retrospect, I suppose it was a pretty big burden to put on a two-year old, but I really didn't know any better. I legitimately thought that I could turn this whining, noisy toddler into a poised and proper princess. But days turned into weeks, and Anna wasn't getting any closer to losing her un-ladylike attitude. In fact, she started whining even _more_ whenever I tried to tell her not to. It was a frustrating experience; I tried teaching her how to behave properly, but the more I tried, the worse she got. She would cry at the top of her lungs every time, and my lessons quickly turned into desperate attempts to calm her down. And so, after three months of dealing with her constant whining, I decided to quit. No amount of books and lessons would cause my sister how to be a real princess.

The next few days I spent by myself, keeping my distance from Anna. I was too frustrated with myself to be anywhere near her. As I brooded by myself, I couldn't help but notice how, despite Anna's lack of discipline, Mama and Papa always treated her with hugs and kisses. It was outrageous! Why were they so lenient towards her? When I was her age, a simple step in the wrong direction would immediately result in a good, long lecture from Papa. But Anna was all over the place, whining, complaining, and breaking things. Yet, Mama and Papa never seemed to punish her. I started harboring resentful feelings towards Anna. Why were Mama and Papa kinder with her than they were with me?

My young, overactive mind started coming up with misguided explanations. Perhaps, I thought, my parents were disappointed by my very existence. They hated the fact that they had a daughter with magical powers. With my unnatural abilities, I was a magnet for trouble. Angry mobs, public condemnation, and even execution were all threats that faced the royal family - all because I had powers. Perhaps that was why Mama and Papa were so stern with me. On the other hand, they seemed to have gotten a second chance with Anna. She had no powers; she was completely normal. Maybe that was what Mama and Papa wanted. A normal daughter. They couldn't have it with me, so they treated me like I wasn't one of their own, and showered all their love and attention on their "real" daughter, Anna.

As crazy as it sounded, I found myself believing this little theory. I genuinely thought Mama and Papa loved Anna more than they loved me. And so, instead of keeping my distance from Anna, I decided to shut myself away from her altogether, never seeing her. I wouldn't admit it, but I was deeply jealous of my sister.

For the next few months, I deliberately went out of my way to avoid Anna. I would refuse to sit next to her during family dinners, and leave the room whenever Anna entered. I'd ignore her whenever she had anything to say to me, and did everything in my power to make my parents love me as much as they loved her.

Luckily, this stage didn't last for long. Perhaps the hand of fate decided to step in and show me the folly of my actions. Or perhaps it was just a coincidence that Anna happened to catch a life-threatening disease. Yes, when she was three years old, Anna fell terribly sick. Tragic as it was, the incident served to change my life forever.

The doctor didn't know what it was, but he was quite certain that my sister wouldn't live for much longer. Mama and Papa nearly abandoned their duties, staying in Anna's room every second of every day. They kept a watchful eye on her, never leaving her side once. They tended to her constantly, giving her food, reading her stories, and adjusting everything so that the room was as warm and hospitable as possible. But it was no use. Anna continued laying miserably on her bed, her life wasting away with every minute. But my parents never gave up. All day and all night, they stayed in Anna's room, doing everything in their power to keep their daughter alive.

Meanwhile, I spent my time in my room, conflicted with myself. At first, when Anna had fallen sick, I forced myself not to care. But then the doctor said she could die, and my resolve to shut her out was all but destroyed. A fierce debate took place in my head. _Should I go inside and be there for Anna? Or should I continue shutting her out?_ After hearing of the possibility that Anna could die, I started to become genuinely worried about her. But I also wanted to send a message to my parents, to show them that I was their daughter just as much as Anna was. After several hours of intense deliberation, I decided to visit my sister.

I remember that night clearly. It was a snowy night, and everyone had already gone to bed. There I stood in the hallway, mustering up my courage. To my left stood the door to Mama and Papa's room, where my parents had fallen asleep after another busy day. To my right, the dark hall stretched out as far as I could see, illuminated by the flickering, orange light of a few candles. And in front of me, towering high above my head, was the door to Anna's room. Mama and Papa had quarantined her as soon as she fell sick, so no one else could catch her sickness, whatever it was. But I wasn't scared of catching this mysterious disease. Instead, I was more afraid of what Anna would think upon seeing me for the first time in months.

I gulped and reached for the doorknob, my hands shaking. Could I really do it? Could I really go in there and comfort my sister? My head was swimming with questions. What would she think of me? Would she be able to forgive me? Or would she refuse to see me, after I had treated her so coldly? For a brief moment, my resolve wavered. I stopped myself from turning the doorknob, feeling the cold metal sitting idly on my hand.

_She's probably better off without me,_ I thought with a frown, letting my fear get the better of me. I was too afraid of what Anna would think of me. After the way I had treated her, I was probably the last person she wanted to see. I turned away from the door, wrapping my arms around my chest. As I tentatively stepped away from Anna's room, I felt tears build behind my eyes. At that moment, I truly believed that our relationship could never be mended, and it was my fault that it was destroyed in the first place. I thought I would have to avoid her for the rest of her life - which, as far as I knew, wasn't going to last much longer.

What would it be like, I thought? To live a life full of loneliness, after losing a sister who loved me more than anything else in the world? The loneliness, I could handle. But the worst part would be the guilt, knowing how I had treated her before she died. No hugs, no kisses, no goodbyes...she'll just die, leaving me by myself. I looked back at Anna's door, envisioning my sister on the other side. Sick, tired, dying...leaving her by herself wasn't an option. I had to be there for her. So, before I had the chance to regret my actions, I turned around and burst through Anna's door, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Anna..." was all I could say before my words caught in my throat. What I saw broke my heart into a million little pieces.

The very first thing I noticed was that it was incredibly hot. Perhaps it was just my increased sensitivity to heat (an unexpected side effect of my powers), but the air felt thick and stuffy, and it felt like the walls were closing in on me. But the one thing that had my attention was the large, adult-size bed that sat in the middle of the room. Because lying on that bed, too small to take up much space, was my sister, sleeping restlessly. Her face was as red as fire, her forehead drenched in sweat. A glass of water stood at her nightstand, probably left untouched for several hours. I gingerly approached the bed, feeling the overwhelming heat her tiny body was radiating. I was just about to put my hand on her forehead when she opened her eyes, pointing her gaze right at me - the same innocent, starry-eyed gaze I had seen in her eyes when she was just a baby. I froze in place, feeling my heart leap in my chest. What should I say to her? Should I apologize for my cold behavior towards her? Should I tell her that everything was going to be alright? There was so much I wanted to tell her. But before I could think of anything to say, Anna weakly coughed and breathed one word before fading back out of consciousness.

"Elsa..." she whispered, trying to maintain her usual, upbeat tone. She then slowly closed her eyes, slipping back into unconsciousness, before she had a chance to finish her sentence. At that moment, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I wrapped my arms around her limp body and broke into tears.

"I'm sorry, Anna," I softly cried, my voice shaky, "I'm sorry for everything. I didn't realize how much you meant to me...how much I need you. I swear, if you get through this, I promise I'll be a better person. And you'll help me along the way, right Anna?"

Now, most people didn't believe me when I told the story later, but I swear, at that moment, a tiny smile appeared on little Anna's red face.

For the next few days, I never left Anna's side. I ate and slept by her bedside, never leaving the room once. Oftentimes, Mama and Papa would have to tend to their royal duties, leaving me alone with my sister. Whenever this happened, I would pass the time by reading her stories, or telling her the perks of being a princess. Of course, she was asleep most of the time, but to me, it felt as if I was somehow making up for the months I had spent shutting her out of my life. Little by little, I was completing the impossible - I was mending my relationship with my sister. And though I knew she was going to die, I took a small amount of comfort in the fact that we would be parting on good terms.

And then, something wonderful came to pass. I'm not sure how it happened. Even the doctor was unsure what exactly took place. But somehow, by some miracle, Anna slowly started to get better (years later, Anna would go on and on about how the "power of love" was what healed her, but I've never been much of a romantic). I remember the doctor giving the news to my parents. Papa sighed with relief, and Mama put a hand to her chest, smiling to herself. But I just stood there, unable to laugh or cry, simply smiling from ear to ear. As soon as I was left alone with Anna, I ran to the bedside and spoke to my unconscious sister.

"You hear that, Anna?" I said, "You'll be getting better! We'll be back together in no time."

Anna moaned softly - her little way of responding to the good news.

_Just wait,_ I thought, _I'll be the best sister ever. Wait for me, Anna. I'll be seeing you soon._

Days passed. Papa told me that Anna's recovery was turning out to be quite unpleasant, so it was best that I stay out of her room. Of course, being the good girl I was, I dutifully waited outside Anna's room, anxiously looking forward to the day when she could finally come out. I kept a running list of the things we would do together: climb trees, eat ridiculous amounts of chocolate, or perhaps play a prank on our stuck-up tutor.

_And perhaps,_ I thought, _when we're older, I'll be the Queen of Arendelle, and she'll be my faithful right hand. We'll travel the world, and see so many new places together. Get better soon Anna, because I'll be waiting for you right here._

And so I waited. Every second of every day, I sat outside Anna's room, anxiously awaiting the day she would come out. The doctor came and went every few hours to check on her. Every time he came, he would see me outside her room, sitting on a bench by myself. We'd occasionally talk about Anna, and how she had managed to recover from her sickness despite all evidence to the contrary.

"It's amazing," the doctor said to me, as if I were some old friend instead of the Princess of Arendelle. "I truly thought she was going to die. Her fever hit a high point, and then...it stopped. She suddenly returned to normal. I'm not sure how it happened, but she's now on her way to a full recovery."

"Will she be out of her room soon?" I asked, looking up at him as he got up from the bench.

The doctor looked down at me and smiled, not unkindly. "At the rate she's recovering, your Highness, your sister will be out of her room in a week or so."

And so I waited some more. The days seemed to crawl by as the week progressed. To distract myself, I prepared a little speech that I would tell my sister as soon as she came out of her room. I repeated the words over and over to myself, anxiously waiting for her door to open.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I'm sorry that I was so mean to you...I guess I was just jealous. Yes, even princesses can get jealous, too. It's just...you have such a nice life, you know? You don't have any powers, and that's a good thing. You don't have to hide anything from the world, and you get to live life like...well, a princess. That's something I'll never have. But that doesn't mean that you can't have it, either. Forget the princess lessons, Anna. I just want you to be _you._ And maybe, just maybe...if you can find it in your heart, do you think you could forgive me? Pretty please?"

I slapped my forehead. "No, no...that's never going to work. Ugh, why is this so hard?"

Just then, I heard the doorknob turn. My heart tumbled in my chest as I scrambled to my feet, straightening my dress as the door slowly opened.

And then there she was. A tiny figure in the towering doorframe, peeking out from behind the door. I brushed aside a stray hair as she stepped out from the doorway, a confused expression on her round face.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before speaking. "I'm...sorry, Anna. I'm sorry that I-"

But then I was cut short. Before I could say another word, Anna fell forward and wrapped her arms around me, causing me to stagger backwards.

"Oh, Elsa," she breathed, pressing her face against my chest. She didn't say anything more. She just stayed there, embracing me tightly, hoping to never let me go. Her warm skin was pressed tightly against my me, and it was then when I realized that I was already forgiven. In fact, she had never been angry at me. I didn't need to say anything to her; she knew that I was sorry, and I knew that she had forgiven me.

The two of us stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like hours. In that moment, it was just me and my sister, finally reunited with each other after months of separation. I admit, I may have shed a few tears here and there.

After some time, I pulled away from Anna's embrace. "It's good to see you again, Anna," I said, smiling.

"It's good to be back," she replied, the optimism in her voice slowly returning. "Now, how about those princess lessons you've been talking about?"

I paused for a while, staring at Anna's beautiful face. Then I giggled. "You know what?" I said to her, "We really don't need to do those anymore."

Anna cocked her head, still smiling. "What do you mean?"

"All that stuff I wanted to teach you...well, that's what I thought a 'regular' princess was. But...well, we're not regular princesses, are we? I mean, regular princesses don't have weird powers, or survive life-threatening sicknesses..."

Anna laughed softly. "Yeah...that's true."

I took Anna's hands in mine. "Truth is, I myself don't know everything about being a princess, either. I've had to work through some things that other princesses haven't. We'll learn together, okay?"

"Okay!" Anna replied enthusiastically, having already recovered her usual liveliness. "Now, let's go see Mama and Papa. They must be sick with worry."

"Oh," I said. "Hang on. There's just one more thing." Before Anna could ask anything, I brought my hands together and concentrated on the cool feeling in my chest. My magic flowed from my heart into my arms, forming beautiful curled patterns that intertwined with each other to form...

"A tiara!" Anna asked. "You...made a tiara! Is that for me?"

I nodded and held the silver crown above Anna's head. "Yes, Anna, this is yours." She bowed as I placed it on her head. "No matter what happens, you'll always be a princess in my book. Remember that, okay?"

Anna giggled. "Thanks, Elsa! This is the greatest gift ever."

From that day forth, Anna and I learned how to be princesses. But we didn't consider ourselves "regular" princesses. We didn't wear pink, frilly dresses, or drink tea and eat biscuits. Actually, we acted against every preconceived notion of what a princess should be. We ran indoors, laughed super loud, made big messes when we ate, and even played a prank on our tutor, freezing her tea when she wasn't looking (the super-long lecture from Papa was totally worth it). In short, Anna taught me how to have fun - something that no amount of books could ever teach me. We grew up like this, just the two of us. Anna became my best friend, and I became hers. And all was well with life, until one autumn night, many years later, when she woke me up and asked me to build a snowman.

* * *

A smile spread across my face as I relived that memory. It was such a peaceful time, one free of worries. But as soon as I returned to the present, my pleasant memories were shattered. _So much has changed since then,_ I thought. Who would have thought that, after reconciling with my sister, I would be shutting her out of my life for a second time? Or that, due to circumstances I couldn't control, I would end up running away from Arendelle, living by myself on this cold, lonely mountain? There was so much I wished I could have done differently. I never even apologized to Anna for...well, everything. For shutting her out, shattering her marriage, and running away from Arendelle, leaving her all alone. My gaze returned to the empty throne beside me - the one that I had supposedly made for my right-hand ruler.

"Anna," I whispered, though I knew she couldn't possibly hear me. "Wherever you are...please be safe."

It was then when I noticed that the blue walls of the palace had a slightly orange tint. Confused, I took a peek outside through a small window. Sure enough, the sun was slowly setting into the black horizon, spreading a fiery orange hue across the sky. Before I knew it, night had fallen, and darkness surrounded my castle. The only light that shone was the faint, indigo-colored glow that was being radiated from the walls of my palace. Sighing, I got up from my throne, stretched my legs a bit, and headed upstairs to my living quarters.

Without much thought, I waved my hands in a circle, pointing towards the wall to my left. In response, my powers flowed out of my hand and gathered to the spot I pointed to. A small, spinning vortex of snow appeared, and before I knew it, a large bed stood against the wall, complete with a cushion of soft, powdery snow.

_It's as good a mattress as any,_ I thought before directing my powers towards my clothing. A cool ring of magic moved up my body as my silver heels turned into comfortable slippers, and my elegant blue dress turned into a form-fitting, snow-white nightgown, featuring a continuous snowflake design that lined the edges of the skirt, neckline, and sleeves. I smiled, admiring my reflection in the glass-like walls of ice.

_It's just too bad there's no one to appreciate any of this,_ I thought, the grin on my face quickly dying away.

Sighing, I flopped down onto my bed with the grace of an elephant. I curled up into a ball and thought about the events that had played up to that point. Between revealing my powers, running from Arendelle, and creating my ice palace, I was absolutely exhausted. Yet, I was unable to go to sleep. I was kept awake by...well, many things. Guilt for running away from Anna. Fear that someone would find me and force me to go back to Arendelle. Sadness for the situation I found myself in. Anger at my life, for treating me so unfairly. It was all so overwhelming.

_If every day is going to be like this,_ I thought, _I don't think I'll be able to hold out for much longer. Anna, wherever you are, please know that I'm sorry for everything. _I snuggled into the pile of powdery snow, trying to make myself as comfortable as possible, and fell into a restless sleep.

Looking back, I now know that my little sojourn on the North Mountain was just a stage that I had to work through. But at that moment, I felt lonelier than I had ever been in my whole life.


	16. A Cold Reunion

Now, if I had decided to live in my castle for the rest of my life, then this would be it. The story would end here. Luckily, I had more sense than that. All I needed was a push in the right direction. And who better to give me that push than the person who I loved more than anything else in the world?

But people don't change that easily. I speak from experience when I say that change is a very difficult thing to do, especially when it involves the people you love. But, in a strange sense, these very same people can also help the process move along, even when things seem impossible. While I was up in my castle, I thought for sure that things were never going to change, that I would forever be a secluded queen in my own imaginary kingdom.

Luckily, I had my sister to prove me wrong.

* * *

The sound of knocking reverberated throughout the castle halls.

Immediately, I jolted up straight. It had been around thirty-six hours since I had started living in my castle. Already the subtle force of boredom was getting to me; I had spent the past few hours in a trancelike state, lying absentmindedly on my bed while creating random snowflake designs on the ceiling above me, scattering the light that was being given off by the chandelier. The last thing I had ever expected would be a person knocking at my door.

I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and sat for a while, debating with myself whether or not I should go downstairs to meet this stranger. How did he - or she - manage to find me? I had created my castle in the most secluded place imaginable. The only way someone could possibly find me here, was if they already knew where I was.

But before I could come up with any paranoid theories, a different sound reverberated throughout the air. It was a low, deep grumble, like something heavy was being moved. Immediately, my eyes went wide, and I stifled a gasp. Whoever was down there had somehow managed to open the doors, which meant that they were currently making their way into my castle.

Immediately, my brain went on full alert mode. The debate in my head renewed itself as strongly as ever. _I should stay up here,_ I thought, trying to calm myself down. _Whoever is down there will probably go away on their own..._

But at the same time, my mind was burning with curiosity. How did this person manage to find me? And how did they make their way all the way up here? Most importantly, who in the world would be crazy enough to scale the North Mountain, come across a mysterious castle made of ice, and think it would be a good idea to _enter_ it? I couldn't be seeing anyone right now, not while I was still trying to get used to my new life. Whoever was down there, I had to politely ask them to leave.

I tentatively stood up and quickly ran a hand through my hair before making my way towards the stairs. As I walked down to the first floor, I mentally practiced what I was going to say to this stranger.

_Hello. I see you've found my palace. I am Elsa, the Snow Queen. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to stay any longer. You have to leave now. It's not your fault, it's just...I prefer to live this way. Or no. I, um...I don't want to hurt you. I mean, I'd never do it intentionally, but...ugh, why is this so hard?_

"Elsa?" came an all-too familiar voice from the main hall. "It's me, Anna."

I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart skipping a beat as my train of thought grinded to an abrupt halt. Anna? What was she doing here? How did she get up here? Was she alone? How did she even know I was here? Her presence answered one question, but raised so many more...

Before I could get too caught up in myself, I forced myself to go down the rest of the stairs. Before I realized what I was doing, I called out her name. "Anna?"

I stepped onto the landing and scanned the main hall from above, eager and anxious at the same time. Sure enough, there she was, struggling to stay upright on the icy floor. She was clad in bunad gear, which included a long blue skirt, a pair of blue mittens, a fluffy pink bonnet, and a warm magenta cape that was generously draped over her shoulders. As soon as she heard me, she looked up in surprise. And then she just stared at me, a look of wonder forming on her face, expressive as always. For a split second, I wondered why she was looking at me like that. Then I realized, with no small degree of self-consciousness, that this was the first time she was seeing my new appearance. With my new hairstyle and dress, I was lucky she recognized me at all.

"Whoa, Elsa," she remarked, her voice full of awe, "you look...different." Then, catching herself, "It's a _good_ different. And this place, it...it's amazing!"

I smiled down at her. I guess I always knew how to impress her. "Thank you. I never knew what I was capable of." I silently admired my work as my nervousness began melting away.

"I'm so sorry about what happened," Anna said, making her way up the stairs. "If I had known-"

"No, no," I interrupted her, my anxiety abruptly returning. I was no longer concealing my powers; who knew what would happen if she got too close? "You...you don't have to apologize." Then, although it pained me to say it, I continued, "But you should probably go. Please."

"But I just got here," she replied, her bubbly voice hiding any disappointment she might have felt.

"You belong down in Arendelle," I replied, backing away further. I could tell that she wasn't going to leave without some persuasion.

"So do you!" she responded, trying to sound convincing.

"No, Anna, I belong here," I said, slowly walking towards the banister, my eyes shifting between my sister and the castle's translucent walls, which gave off a pale blue glow. "Alone. Where I can be who I am...without hurting anybody." I stopped myself before my voice could catch in my throat. For a split second, memories of Arendelle flashed through my mind - the terrified faces of the citizens when they had discovered my secret. I shut the image away before I could get too caught up in it.

I wasn't sure what to make of the hesitant expression that formed on Anna's face. "Actually," she said, her voice careful, "about that-"

"...fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty!" came an unfamiliar voice from the main entrance. Immediately, my pensiveness was replaced by alertness.

"Wait," I said to Anna, my eyes darting towards the castle doors. "What is that?" Was someone else here?

I scanned over the main entrance to see if I could find the mysterious newcomer. What I saw shocked me beyond belief.

It was...a snowman. A _living snowman_! And it was merrily skipping into the room, acting like it was perfectly normal for snowmen to walk and talk. I put my hand in front of my open mouth, barely managing to suppress a gasp.

Yet, though I was certain I had never seen a living snowman before, the little guy looked familiar, evoking a vague, cloudy memory from a time long forgotten...

"Hi!" said the snowman, his loud, bubbly voice echoing throughout the main hall, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

I paused. The name sounded familiar. "Olaf?" _Where have I heard that name before...?_

He happily bounded onto the staircase, then stopped next to Anna, suddenly shy. "You built me," he said bashfully, clasping his hands together. "Remember that?"

I thought back to the night I left Arendelle, the night when I decided to let everything go. Yes, I did remember building a snowman back then, as a sort of test for my powers. But there was one big difference between then and now. "And you're alive?" I asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Y-um..." Olaf stuttered, studying his arms as if he doubted their existence. "I think so?"

I stared at my hands in awe, realizing just how much power I had inside me. _Did I really create life...? Who knows what else I could do?_

Anna knelt down next to the snowman and put her hand on his shoulder. "He's just like the one we built as kids," she said as she and Olaf looked at each other lovingly.

Despite my uneasiness, a small grin made its way onto my face. "Yeah," I replied, remembering when we would play together and build snowmen. It was such a simple time, one free of anxieties. I could tell Anna missed those times just as much as I did, if not more. Olaf's appearance only intensified the nostalgia, and I found myself longing, more than ever, to somehow restart my life. To have a fresh start with my sister, just so we could be together again.

"Elsa, we were so close," Anna continued, looking up at me entreatingly. "We can be like that again."

Just then, my heart fluttered in my chest. This was my chance. My chance to start anew with Anna, and repair our relationship. I could feel a new sense of freedom rising within me, a kind I had never felt before. But before I could open my mouth to say yes, images from long ago played themselves in my mind. I suddenly remembered that autumn night thirteen years ago, the night when my life took a turn for the worse. The scene played itself with devestating clarity.

* * *

_"Catch me!" Anna squealed, jumping from peak to peak._

_"Slow down!" I yelled out, reaching out to form a cushion of snow for her to land on. But instead of hitting the ground, my magic flew straight through the air and hit Anna square in the head. Her laughter ended abruptly as she fell to the ground, as limp as a broken bird._

_I held my sister in my arms, watched helplessly as a white streak formed in her hair. "Anna!" was all I could manage to say, as my voice had caught in my throat._

* * *

"No," I found myself saying, "we can't." I desperately wanted to tell her about that night, to let her know why we could never be reconciled, so it wouldn't seem like I was just pushing her away. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Even after thirteen years, I was still too ashamed of my mistake to tell Anna the truth. I turned around, heading for the second-story staircase. "Goodbye, Anna."

Anna advanced up the stairs, following after me. "Elsa, wait-"

"No, I'm just trying to protect you!" I interrupted her, scared and frustrated at the same time. _Why can't she understand?_ I didn't want to look back, to see the disappointment that would invariably show itself on her face. Instead, I pressed forward, heading up the stairs and ignoring Anna's pleas.

"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid!" Anna replied, her voice still optimistic despite the circumstances. "Please don't shut me out again!"

I forced myself to continue climbing the stairs as Anna followed close behind. All the while, she kept pleading to me, yet somehow retaining her usual bubbly tone. "Elsa, I finally understand why you've acted the way you did! It was to protect me, right? Having magic...that's a pretty big secret. But I know you can't hide it forever, Elsa. Come with me, and we'll make things right again! We'll head down this mountain together! Please Elsa, you don't have to live like this anymore."

I reached the top of the staircase and retreated into my living quarters. Anna, stubborn as always, was right on my tail. She stood at the doorway, smiling innocently. "Elsa," she said in an almost singsong voice, "for the first time in forever, we can be together again!"

I wrung my hands uneasily. Clearly, Anna believed that there was still a chance that I could go back to Arendelle with her. I admired her optimism, but it was proving to be most troublesome at the moment. I had to turn her down, but I didn't want to break her spirit. So I turned around and put on my warmest smile.

"Anna," I began, trying to adopt my gentlest tone, "please, go back home. You still have so much to live for! You finally don't have to worry about me every day. You can live life knowing that every day is yours. And you're finally engaged! Isn't that wonderful?" I tried to ignore the bitter taste left in my mouth by the thought of Prince Hans. "And the gates. Oh, Anna, the gates are finally open. You can finally enjoy the life you've always wanted - a life outside the castle. You really don't have to wait for me. I'll be fine. Go out, enjoy the sun, and open up the gates! Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Well, yeah, but-" Anna replied, the same hesitant expression from before showing up on her face.

But I wouldn't hear it. "I know you mean well," I interrupted her. "And I appreciate you coming here. It must have been difficult. But please, leave me be. I'm perfectly content living up here. Unlike you, I have nothing left to live for-" I stopped abruptly when my words caught in my throat. I quickly turned around and headed to the balcony to get some fresh air. Anna must have caught my break in tone, because she followed me outside.

"Yes," I continued, looking out at the mountainous horizon, "I suppose it gets rather lonely up here. But I'm finally free! I don't have to worry about hiding my powers from anyone. And Anna...that's what _I've_ always wanted." I noticed Anna standing behind me, her face twisted with worry. I turned and headed back inside. "Just stay away from me, and you'll be safe. The people of Arendelle will be better off, too."

Anna hesitated for a while. "Um...actually, we're not."

I abruptly stopped walking and narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean, you're not?" I asked, turning around to face Anna.

Anna approached me cautiously. "You mean...you mean you don't know? 'Cause that's the vibe I'm getting here."

I threw my cape to the side. "What do I not know? Out with it, Anna!"

Anna seemed afraid to say what was on her mind. She clasped her hands together, almost flinching at her own words. "Arendelle's in deep, deep...deep...deep...snow."

Something coiled tightly in my chest. "What?" was all I could manage to say.

Anna winced. "You kind of set of an eternal winter...everywhere."

My eyes went wide, and an unpleasant, cold feeling built up in my chest. "Everywhere?" A few small snowflakes started falling from above.

Anna was quick to change her tone. "But that's okay, you can just unfreeze it!"

I held my hand in apprehension. Did she really think it was that easy? "No I can't, I don't know how!" My legs felt so heavy, I felt like I had to sit down.

"Sure you can," she replied cheerily. "I know you can!"

Anna kept speaking, but her voice seemed to fade away. In fact, all noise started to fade away. Strange, white shapes started dancing across my vision. My heart was pounding in my chest, sending painful waves of icy magic coursing throughout my body. The world around me faded out of existence. The one thing I could focus on was my thoughts.

_I'm such a fool. Why did I ever think I could get away from this curse? There's no escape. I'm bound to this monster for as long as I live. I can't control it. Why can't I control it?!_ I imagined the people of Arendelle, desperately huddling around tiny fires in a vain attempt to stay alive. The town was frozen over, and it was all my fault. I felt like running away, but to where? There was nowhere left to run to. I was trapped. I folded my arms over my chest - nothing felt safe anymore.

It was then when I noticed that a powerful blizzard was swirling around the room, spurred on by my increasing panic. The strong gust drowned out any other sounds, and the flurry of snowflakes replaced my vision with an undulating wall of white. _No! I can't be losing control again! Not after I worked so hard to control myself. I thought I was past that..._

"Elsa!" I heard Anna call out through the storm, though her voice was very faint. "You don't have to do this to yourself! We'll work this out together!"

"Anna, please!" I yelled into the storm. "You're only making it worse! Go away now, before you get hurt!"

I was scared. So scared of everything. Of my situation, my powers, of myself. I looked at the glasslike walls, seeing my reflection - the reflection of a monster.

"Elsa, don't panic!" Anna called out, holding up her arms to protect her face against the snowflakes that relentlessly buffeted her. "Together we'll fix this!"

My breathing grew heavier, and my head throbbed painfully. _Why can't she understand? I just want her to leave me alone!_

"Anna, you're not safe here!" I cried, though I wasn't sure she could hear me.

Anna kept talking, but the powerful winds gradually drowned out the sound of her voice. My vision grew blurry, and my legs felt like they could no longer hold me up. Between my sudden loss of control, the pain that my magic was putting my body in, the realization that I had jeopardized Arendelle, and Anna's words of encouragement (which were doing more harm than good), I felt like I was going to faint. My consciousness seemed to be as blank and nebulous as the wall of white that surrounded me.

"Please!" I barely heard Anna say, her voice muffled by the storm and my fading consciousness. "We can change this winter weather! We can fix everything! Just...please come home with me, Elsa!"

And then suddenly, it was all too much to handle. Acting purely on instinct, I held my hands up to my head and forced the blizzard to retreat into a solitary point in my chest. An intense, searing pain wracked my entire body, caused by the dangerous amount of magic I had just taken in. Everything - the pain, the stress, the fear - became stronger and stronger, until it completely robbed my body of all feeling. And then, even then, it continued building relentlessly, intensifying more and more until...

_"I can't!"_ I screamed, letting everything out. All my pain, my fear, my sorrow, my frustration - it was all unwittingly released in a bright blast of icy magic that radiated in all directions. In that one, excruciatingly painful moment, I spent every ounce of emotional energy left in me.

A few seconds of silence. And then, there was nothing.

Where there was once an intense fear that had relentlessly gripped me, there was absolutely nothing left. Just a cold, black emptiness that pervaded the void in my heart. For a few seconds, I stared at the floor, breathing heavily as I tried to reorganize my thoughts. Gradually, the world around me started feeling more and more concrete, like I was returning to reality.

That was when I heard a small whimper of pain come from behind me.

I turned around, suddenly remembering that Anna was in the room with me. But what I saw caused the painful coldness in my chest to rise again. My sister, clutching her chest, was down on one knee, her head hung low in agony. I gasped as my heart tumbled in my chest.

_Did I really just...?_

I was about to run to Anna and ask if she was okay, but I was cut off by an unfamiliar voice that came from the hallway. "Anna!"

My eyes darted towards the door to see a strange man run into the room. Behind him, Olaf followed closely behind, his expressive eyes filled with worry. The stranger knelt down next to Anna and helped her up. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine," Anna replied, trying to put some weight into her words. But even from across the room, I could see that her strength was failing her.

Meanwhile, I couldn't draw my attention away from the stranger. Who did he think he was? "Who's this?" I asked protectively, almost instinctively. Then, remembering what had happened with Hans, I stopped myself from getting too caught up in my emotions. "Wait, it doesn't matter. Just...you have to go." I clasped my hands in front of my chest, backing away from my sister.

"No," Anna replied determinedly, refusing to give up hope. "I know we can figure this out together-"

"How?!" I pleaded as my emotions diffused into the air and transferred into the room, manifesting as black, intimidating spikes that grew within the walls. "What power do you have to stop this winter? To stop _me?"_

Anna only looked at me miserably, unable to come up with the right words. Meanwhile, a deep rumble echoed throughout the room as the shadowy spikes spread throughout the walls.

The stranger looked around nervously, at the menacing blackness that was quickly enveloping the room. "Um, Anna," he said apprehensively, wrapping a protective arm around my sister, "I think we should go."

But Anna shrugged him off and took a step towards me, trying in vain to appear strong. "No," she said resolutely. "I'm not leaving without you Elsa."

At that moment, I knew that mere words weren't going to persuade Anna to leave. I had to use force. As I noticed Olaf, hovering anxiously by Anna's side, I had an idea. But could I really do it? _I know I've created life once before. I'm not quite sure how I did it. But if I could just do it one more time..._

"Yes," I replied, trying in vain to steel myself, "you are."

I concentrated on my magic and directed it into my arms. Then, I threw my hands towards the ground in front of me, and let my powers take care of the rest. A bright wave of magic shot forth from my hands and hit the ground, causing a small explosion of snowflakes. Immediately, a pile of snow formed on the ground, surrounded by a spinning vortex of snowflakes. My creation swirled around chaotically as the snow joined together to form distinct shapes. And then, with a deep grumble, my creation rose: a twenty-foot tall golem that towered over everyone present. It stood perfectly still, silently waiting for me to give orders.

Anna and the mysterious stranger stood frozen in fear, looking up at the monster I had created. Meanwhile, Olaf spread his arms out in a hug, smiling at the hulking behemoth. "You made me a brother!" he squealed excitedly. "I'll call you Marshmallow!"

"Take them away," I ordered, turning away from my sister. Immediately, the colossal titan rumbled to life and looked down at Anna threateningly.

"Wait, Elsa, no!" Anna called out before the golem scooped her (along with her two friends) in its gigantic arms. "Oof-hey! Let me go!"

"Wow," Olaf said, his voice strained. "You really know how to give a guy a hug, don't you? I can practically feel my body being crushed in your intense grip. I think you should dial down the love there, big guy..."

Without wasting a second more, the great behemoth slowly lumbered out of the room, carrying Anna, Olaf, and the stranger. All the while, Anna kept complaining loudly, twisting helplessly in the golem's relentless grip, while her two friends enjoyed the ride in silence.

As Anna's voice receded into the distance, I found myself all alone once more. Silence surrounded me on all sides. But it wasn't a peaceful silence, the kind which I had enjoyed many times before. This silence was emotionally charged, filled with unbearable tension. It reminded me how lonely I really was. Once I was certain Anna was gone, I fell to my knees, unable to take it anymore, and wept, my tears falling unceremoniously onto the castle's icy floor.

Once again, I had put my sister's life in danger. But this time, there was nothing I could do about it.

* * *

That night, I found myself pacing frantically around the main hall, my mind an unorganized mess of emotions and thoughts. The castle's walls glowed an eerie red, reflecting my growing panic.

"Get it together," I said to myself, crossing my arms over my chest nervously. I could feel my own heart pounding furiously as I continued pacing around the castle, unable to keep still.

My head was still reeling from the events that had played out a few hours before. _Did I really freeze her heart?_ Though I wanted to deny it, the truth was right in front of me. All the facts were against me. Anna was clearly clutching her chest when I had struck her. And I wasn't even paying attention to where I was aiming my magic. I just let it all out, not thinking about what - or who - it would hit.

I thought back to the night I froze her head. That time, we were lucky. Mama and Papa were able to take my sister to the trolls (whose existence was a mere legend that few people knew about), and they were able to save her life. This time, though, Mama and Papa weren't around to save Anna. And I couldn't go out there and take her to the trolls, either. I knew that if I came anywhere near Anna, I would only end up hurting her, making things worse. No, I belonged right here, in this castle, where I couldn't hurt anybody.

I remembered something the troll chief had said that night, after he had examined Anna. He said that we were lucky that it was only her head that was frozen, and that a frozen heart is "not so easily changed." What did that mean? Was he saying that a frozen heart could never be healed? If that was the case, then there was nothing I could do for my sister. She was doomed to die. Tears sprung to my eyes as I furiously denied the possibility. Yet, I knew that it could very well happen.

At that moment, a certain memory came to mind. It was something Papa had told me long, long ago, during my years of isolation. He said he had read up on the subject of magic, and that he knew the dangers of a frozen heart. "You must never use your powers, Elsa," he had told me sternly. "If you freeze your sister's heart, the magic will consume her from the inside out. She will freeze to solid ice, and she'll be gone forever." Looking back, I knew he had only said it to scare me from using my powers, but it was a pretty scary thing to tell an eight-year old how she could kill her sister.

"Control it," I rebuked myself out loud, trying to force down the cold numbness that was rising in my chest.

How could I protect Anna? There was nothing I could do to save her. And no one could take her to the trolls, as their existence had been forgotten long, long ago. Those who did know about the trolls didn't believe they actually existed. It looked like Anna couldn't rely on magic to save her this time. But then who else could she rely on? A doctor? That, too, was impossible, as Arendelle was frozen over, and the only people who could help her were too busy trying to survive the eternal winter I had unleashed.

Oh, Arendelle. I had forgotten that Anna wasn't the only one in danger. At the foot of this mountain, there was an entire town of people who were suffering the consequences of my actions. My father had entrusted the kingdom to me, and I had cursed it with my powers. It was my job to protect it, but instead I had doomed its people to die. I had failed as a queen.

"Don't feel...don't feel," I whispered, wringing my hands nervously. How could I let this happen? It wasn't my fault. None of this was my fault! From revealing my powers to Arendelle, to being secluded in my room, to accidentally hitting Anna with my magic - I never brought any of those incidents upon myself. It was these cursed powers. This undeserved burden that I had constantly had to live with since the day I was born. What did I ever do to deserve them? My whole life, they'd been nothing but a liability. I once thought, long, long ago, that I could use them for good. But now, I was trapped in my own creation, my kingdom was frozen over, and my sister, who I loved more than anyone else in the world, was about to die. And it was all my fault.

"Don't feel," I repeated, holding my hands up to my throbbing head. "Don't feel!"

Just then, a deep rumble echoed throughout the giant walls that towered above me. I stopped my pacing and nervously checked my surroundings, my eyes widening in fear. Without my knowledge, my powers had overflowed from my heart and diffused into the walls of the castle. Before I could do anything to stop it, wide masses of jagged icicles formed on the walls, growing larger and larger until they surrounded me, pointing at me threateningly and enclosing me within my castle. It was as if my own powers were turning against me.

This wasn't freedom. This was confinement.

And then, at that moment, I remembered something else the troll chief had told me. It was a warning against losing control of my powers.

"You must learn to control it," he had said to me. "Fear will be your enemy."

As I stood by myself in the dark red hallway, surrounded on all sides by my own creation, the true meaning of his words became painfully clear.


	17. Attack on the Ice Palace

I stood by myself in the dark, quiet hall. Nothing around me. No one in sight. Just me and my thoughts.

"H-hello?" I timidly called out, my empty words echoing into the vast darkness that surrounded me. But there was no reply. The air was completely still as my words reverberated further into the blackness, growing fainter with every repetition.

And then, without warning, a piercing, white light came from above, resting on an adult-size bed that I hadn't realized was there. It was covered in opulent linens and fine silk, just like the rich fabrics that were all too common back home in Arendelle. It took me a while to recognize the lone figure laying on the bed.

It was Anna. My dear sister, lying perfectly motionless, save for the imperceptible rise and fall of her breath. She laid miserably on the bed, just like she was several years ago, when I first saw her dying of an unknown disease. I stared at her, frozen in fear and shock. Her face was deathly pale, her lips chapped. Her eyes were half-open, and had a glazed look about them. But they were pointed right at me.

For a while, a tense silence hung in the air. Then, after mustering my courage, I spoke up. "Anna? Are you okay?"

Anna weakly shook her head, struggling with the task. "Why'd you do it, Elsa?"

I felt my heart lurch in my chest. "Wh...what do you mean?"

Anna coughed, her breath frail and shallow. "You know what I mean..."

I fought a losing battle against freshly formed tears. "Anna...you know I didn't mean to..."

"You could have stopped it," she feebly replied. "You just..._had_ to lose control, didn't you, Elsa?"

With difficulty, I swallowed my sadness and forced a comforting smile, trying to be strong. Then I went to Anna's bedside, intending to tell her that everything was an accident, and that I was sorry for everything. But before I could reach out to her, she knocked my hand aside with a sudden burst of strength.

"_Don't_ touch me," she snapped, the malice clearly showing in her blue eyes.

I held my hand as if she had just burned it. I didn't know what to say. "Anna, I-"

"You're a _monster,_ Elsa," she continued, her every word piercing deeper into my heart. "What you did was unforgivable." Her words like a punch to the gut. I was left speechless. It was then when I noticed a slow, crackling sound reverberating throughout the empty air. My eyes went wide as I tried to search for the source of the noise.

"Anna," I said, hearing the panic in my own voice, "what's happening?"

Anna grinned, seeming to get some sort of sick satisfaction from watching my angst. She then threw aside her covers and revealed the lower half of her body, which was coated in a glossy, blue layer of ice. I gasped and staggered backwards, barely hanging on to consciousness.

"Anna..." I began weakly, "what-"

"You did this, Elsa," she interrupted me, the hatred in her voice growing. "You did this to me." The ice crept further up her body, working its way towards her head.

"Anna, please!" I screamed as the ice made its way up her torso. "I'm sorry, Anna...I'm so sorry..."

My sister scoffed as the ice crept up her shoulders. "Do you really think that'll make it all better, Elsa? You've murdered me, and all you can do is say sorry?"

I fell to my knees at my sister's bedside and sobbed. "What do you want me to do, Anna? I'll do anything..._anything..._"

"Nothing," Anna replied, showing no hint of sadness. The layer ice moved up to her face, slowly spreading up her chin. "You can do nothing. You've already done your worst, Elsa. I just want you to look at what you've done...and realize who you _really_ are." Her lower lip was frozen over. "A monster, Elsa...you're a monster..." The ice enveloped her lower face, preventing her from saying anything more. But her eyes remained fixed on mine. So full of hatred, piercing me silently. As the ice slowly spread up her face, her spiteful glare remained focused on me, not yielding to my pleas. And then it was finished. The ice enveloped her eyes, then the top of her head, and then all was silent.

I knelt at my sister's bedside, crying to myself, immersed in a sea of guilt and self-hatred. My sister, now a statue of ice, lay completely still. She was dead, and it was all my fault. I thought about the loving, playful girl I once knew, and stared helplessly at the lifeless statue that lay in front of me.

All of a sudden, a sick, cracking sound reverberated throughout the air. I watched with wide eyes as a thick fracture tore its way down my sister's frozen leg, then abruptly shot up her torso. Tiny shards of ice fell from her body as I watched helplessly, frozen in fear. The thick crack in her body branched outwards, traveled up her head until it nearly divided her body in two. I shot up and shook my head, feeling my heart beat faster and faster.

_This can't be happening,_ I thought, my voice having given up on me. _Please, no, no, no..._

And then, without warning, the statue of ice loudly shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Frozen shards of Anna fell to my feet with a series of _clinks_ that resonated grimly throughout the cold, dark room.

But before I could scream, I was abruptly woken up.

* * *

I quickly sat up screaming, momentarily forgetting who and where I was.

Looking around, I tried to regain my breath as I took in the scene around me. I was in my palace, alone as always. The sun was just barely beginning to rise over the horizon, adding a slight pink hue to the castle's blue walls. If I weren't so badly shaken, I would have taken a few seconds to appreciate the beauty of it all.

I tried to recall what had happened the previous night. After pacing around the main hall helplessly, I had collapsed on my throne, exhausted and scared. It was about then when I uneasily fell asleep, and was afflicted by the same nightmare that had visited me over and over again during my years of isolation. Actually, no, scratch that. It wasn't the same dream. The dream I had last night was a thousand times worse than anything I'd ever experienced. In my previous dreams, Anna would forgive me for what I had done. But last night, my sister looked at me with a hatred I had never seen in her eyes before. It all felt so real, like she was really present, and the words were coming from her own mouth, rather than my own overactive imagination. I took a deep breath and silently thanked God that it was all just a dream.

It was then when I noticed the sound of commotion taking place outside.

I sat perfectly still on my throne, trying to decipher the mess of sounds that came from outside the castle. There were heavy thuds, the sound of steel swords being unsheathed, and a chaotic muddle of men shouting. Some were panicking, others seemed to be giving orders. And then, unexpectedly, a thunderous roar rose above the cacophony, shaking the ground beneath me. Immediately, my eyes went wide.

"Oh no," I whispered, staring at the door.

Without wasting a second, I pushed myself out of my throne and dashed across the main hall, heading towards the double doors that served as the castle's only line of defense. At this point, the most I could do was freeze the doors shut, preventing anyone outside from entering. But as soon as I reached the doors, a strange sense of curiosity came over me. Knowing full well what I was risking, I decided to take a peek at the battle that was taking place. Even though I knew what to expect, what I saw outside scared me beyond belief.

On a battlefield of white, a regiment of around twenty men had their swords and crossbows drawn. They ran around chaotically, all semblance of order having been broken by the colossal snow golem that stood in their midst. The soldiers fired a volley of arrows at the monster, but their attacks only seemed to make it angrier. It easily swatted the soldiers aside, knocking some unconscious. It was a fearsome sight to see - and to think it was me who had created the hulking monster. Nonetheless, it looked like the beast - my own personal guardian - wasn't going to hold out for much longer. I wasn't sure who I should have feared more: the snow golem, who was attacking innocent people on my behalf, or the soldiers, who were undoubtedly out to kill me.

Looking out among the mess of people that hysterically scattered around the battlefield, I noticed two soldiers who were staying out of the action. They carried crossbows, but they weren't joining the others in the fierce battle against the golem. Upon closer inspection, I noticed something else about their uniforms, seeing how oddly familiar they looked. With wide eyes, I realized that they were wearing black, red, and gold - the colors of Weselton. That was why they looked so familiar; they had accompanied the Duke during the coronation party. They were simply his bodyguards, following his every order. Now here they were, out to kill me. The Duke must have ordered them to come up here and execute me. It broke my heart, knowing that even those who had known me were dead set on seeing me eliminated.

As I continued scanning the battlefield, I saw, of all people, Prince Hans, fighting the monster with nothing but a short sword. He seemed to be alright, though I didn't think he would last much longer against the colossal behemoth that towered above him. At that moment, I felt my heart sink. I may have not liked him very much, but he was still my sister's fiancé. The fact that he was out to kill me either meant that his relationship with my sister was about to end, or that my sister herself had told him what I had done, and he was out for revenge. Neither prospect sounded more appealing than the other.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any more time to think about my situation. At that moment, one of the Weselton soldiers just happened to glance in my direction, directing his sharp gaze right at me. Though he was hundreds of feet away, I could clearly see the malice in his eyes as he pointed me out to his comrade. Immediately, my heart jumped, and I quickly slipped back into the castle, slamming the double doors shut. I hastily attempted to freeze them together before backing away fearfully, wondering how long they would be able to hold up. Not wanting to find out, I whipped around and dashed up the stairs, already hearing the soldiers bang angrily at the door behind me. I knew they'd break it down eventually, so I ran as fast as I could towards my living quarters, the safest place I could think of. It wasn't until I was on the second story flight when the two soldiers succeeded in breaking the door down. I heard the crash of the double doors as they fell harshly to the ground, followed by the angry shouts of the soldiers as they ran into the castle. One of them caught sight of me dashing up the stairs, and readied his weapon.

"Up there!" he shouted to his comrade, his gruff voice echoing throughout the hall. I ran faster up the stairs, skipping two at a time, with the soldiers in hot pursuit. Luckily, there were only two of them at the moment, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before the others would make their way into the castle. Not wanting to wait for that to happen, I reached the top of the stairs and entered my living quarters, intending to freeze the doors shut and put up a wall of ice to protect myself. But before I could do anything, I heard the soldiers' voices behind me.

"We got her," one of them said. I whipped around to see both soldiers blocking the exit. I was cornered - there was nowhere left to run.

I felt my legs melt beneath me. "No, please," I pleaded desperately, despite knowing that my words wouldn't have much effect.

The soldier, ignoring me, lifted his crossbow, aiming it straight for my head. Then, without showing a shred of remorse, he let the arrow fly.

Suddenly, the world around me slowed down to a near halt. The steel arrow, suspended in midair, slowly inched towards my face. At that moment, my life vividly flashed before my eyes. In that split second, I saw Mama and Papa, holding hands and smiling at me. I saw Anna, playing with me in the snow, ice skating, sledding, and building snowmen. I saw my sister, the innocent glow in her eyes as she asked me to build a snowman one night. Anna, unconscious on the ground, a streak of her strawberry-red hair turning white. My family at the trolls' valley, the troll chief erasing Anna's memories and warning me about my powers. Me spending countless years in my room, Anna visiting me day after day, always asking the same question. Hundreds of people watching me in the cathedral, the bishop placing the crown on my head, the loud party taking place afterwards. Me and Anna talking, arguing, fighting. Me revealing my deepest, darkest secret in a split second of blind anger. Me running away, letting everything go. The creation of my palace, my argument with Anna, me freezing her heart, and then...nothing. There was simply nothing. My muscles relaxed, and a strange feeling of peace came over me.

_This is it,_ I thought, abandoning my fear in a sudden moment of clarity. _I'm going to die._ I shut my eyes and braced myself for the feeling of steel piercing my skull.

Minutes seemed to pass. That split second seemed to be the longest moment in my life. But instead of feeling an arrow lodge itself into my head, I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. For a while, I wondered if I was already dead. Though I was hesitant to do it, I slowly opened my eyes...only to see the steel arrowhead, inches from my face.

I drew back, releasing a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding in. The arrow was suspended in midair by a wall of ice that had unwittingly materialized in front of me.

_Did my powers just act up on their own...?_ I realized, with a strange mixture of hope and fear, that I had something the soldiers didn't: magic. I could still defend myself. But how far could I go with this advantage?

There wasn't any more time to think. I was abruptly brought back to the present as the soldiers issued orders to each other. One soldier threw his arrow to the other, who loaded it into his crossbow and aimed it at me.

"Stay away!" I said, trying in vain to sound strong. At the same time, I hesitantly extended my hands towards the soldiers, launching blasts of ice at them. I tried to hold back, to simply fire a few warning shots, but my stress caused my magic to come out stronger than I had intended. The soldiers barely managed to avoid my attack, and a giant icicle rose from the ground where my magic had hit. Immediately afterward, an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over me as a glimmer of fear briefly registered in the eyes of the two men.

I looked down at my hands, afraid to see how far my powers would take me. _Can I really do it? Can I use my powers to fight these men? _I had never gotten in a fight before. How could I possibly stand a chance against these trained soldiers?

"Fire, fire!" one of the guards yelled to the other. I took a deep breath and, as I had done so many times before, stored my fear into a remote corner of my heart. Then, before any one of the soldiers could do anything, I launched three more blasts of magic at them. They barely managed to dodge my attacks as I continued my onslaught.

_Yes,_ I thought, trying to steel myself. _I can fight. I will fight. And these men will pay for everything they've done._

"Get her!" one of the guards yelled, scrambling to his feet. Taking another deep breath, I allowed my powers to spread into my limbs, ready to fire out of my hands at any moment. I spread my feet, positioning them at shoulder length, and pointed my hands towards each of the guards.

_Maybe I stand a chance after all..._

The guards took position on either side of me, readying their weapons. They had me surrounded. But it was no problem. As one of the soldiers raised his crossbow, about to fire it, I immediately detected a moment of vulnerability and extended my arm towards him, my magic hitting the ground in front of him. Without warning, eight sharp icicles shot forth from the ground and towards the guard, catching him by his shirt and pinning him against the wall. As he struggled helplessly, a ninth icicle rose from the ground and extended itself near his neck, ready to puncture it at any moment. The man stopped struggling and held his breath.

Meanwhile, the other guard behind me, thinking I was distracted, aimed his weapon at my head. I whipped around and thrust my hand towards him, firing a bright wave of magic that hit his weapon and froze it, rendering it useless. The crossbow clattered on the icy floor as the guard staggered backwards, having been caught by surprise. He tried to run away, but with an upward flick of my arm, a wall of icy spikes materialized in front of him, preventing him from escaping. He tried going the other way, but another wall of ice formed behind him. There was nowhere else to go but towards me. But I sealed off that possibility, too - with a simple flick in his direction, a third wall formed and slid towards him, pushing against him. The man silently beckoned for me to stop, the fear in his eyes evident, but I didn't care; the idea of mercy had already left me long ago. The moving wall forced him against the balcony doors, nearly crushing him with the force. Then, with a loud clang, it forced him onto the balcony, breaking down the doors in the process. But I didn't stop there. Keeping my hand extended, I relentlessly kept pushing on the wall, forcing the guard to the very edge of the balcony, where a thousand-foot abyss was eagerly waiting to swallow him up. The man struggled to grab on to the spikes on the wall, hanging on for dear life.

And there I was. The great and terrible Snow Queen, showing just how powerful she really was. The Snow Queen, holding the lives of two men in her hands. All it would have taken was a simple flick of the wrist, and just like that, the lives of these men would have abruptly ended. I was so close. So close to doing something that would have haunted me for the rest of my life.

Luckily, I didn't go through with my actions. For at that very moment, I heard several sets of footsteps behind me. I realized that the other soldiers had gotten past the guard and were infiltrating the castle. I groaned to myself and made a mental note to kill them all as soon as I was finished with the Weselton soldiers. Taking a moment to glance backwards, I saw Prince Hans leading the squadron, his face creased in worry.

_Good, _I thought, feeling the sick, addictive rush of power coursing through my body. _They're all here to watch their comrades die. Maybe then they'll leave me alone._ I focused my attention back on the two men in front of me, and pushed my powers further, ready to deal the finishing blow.

"Queen Elsa!" Prince Hans yelled in a controlled, yet frantic tone. "Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

I angrily looked back at Hans, fully intent on killing him next. But, though I didn't realize it, his words tore down my emotional barriers, snapping me out of my rage. Before I knew it, I was immersed in an overwhelming sense of remorse. My knees became weak, and I was suddenly brought back to reality. A tense silence filled the air as my powers slowly died away, as if they somehow realized what I was about to do. I stood in place, my voice slowly giving up on me, as the full gravity of my actions hit me like a speeding train. The soldiers behind Hans whispered to each other, all of them staring at me dumbfoundedly. But despite the stillness that hung in the air, my mind was racing frantically, a multitude of blurry thoughts making its way to the front of my attention.

What was I doing?! I had left Arendelle to _protect_ people from my magic! It was the entire reason I had exiled myself and built a palace in this secluded mountain. But now here I was, fully intent on killing two men! This wasn't right. This went against everything my father had taught me. But instead of taking further action, I could only stand completely still, frozen in fear of what I had done - and what I was about to do. In the mess of thoughts that swirled around in my head, one thing became unmistakably, devastatingly clear.

_I really am a monster._

I stared at Hans in desperation, unsure of what to do. But he seemed to be looking past me, scowling at something behind me. Before I could do anything, Hans' frown quickly turned into an expression of panic as he broke out into a sprint, dashing past me and towards the guard I had pinned across the wall - who, at that moment, was weakly pointing his crossbow right at my head. He was a split second away from firing his arrow, from killing me right there and then. But before I could react, Hans grabbed the man's arm and pointed it sharply upwards, right as the guard fired his crossbow. The steel arrow sailed upwards and out of sight, followed by a dreadful silence, and the soft sound of something small and delicate breaking somewhere above me. With a gasp, I quickly looked upward at the colossal, glowing chandelier that hung directly above. It seemed to be growing in size, tiny shards of ice falling to the ground around me. I then realized, my heart nearly skipping a beat, that it was slowly falling, threatening to crush me underneath.

Without wasting another second, I picked up my skirts and scrambled madly towards safety. The air was suddenly filled with a deafening, shattering sound as the massive structure crashed to the ground, sending shards of ice all over the room. Many of them caught me in the back as I ran, sending several tiny jolts of pain throughout my body. As I desperately tried to escape the wreckage, I lost my balance and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

The earpiercing roar of the shattering chandelier was the last thing I could remember before everything went black.


	18. Imprisoned

Now, I'm not exactly sure what happened after I blacked out. A lot of my memories were hazy, interrupted by my going in and out of consciousness. I remember feeling the guards' rough hands behind me, tying my hands together with a coarse rope that dug painfully into my skin. I remember being tossed unceremoniously on what felt like a horse, and a long ride down the North Mountain. What I don't remember was being taken back to Arendelle, and being thrown into the cold, dark dungeon. But I do remember waking up.

The world around me was black. One of the first things I was aware of was the incessant ringing in my ears. It was giving me a splitting headache, but it was the only indication that I was still alive. Slowly, heavily, I felt my eyelids flutter open. Suddenly, the darkness that surrounded me was replaced by blurry shapes and shadowy colors. I couldn't make any of it out. Gradually, though, my vision came back into focus. The hazy world around me cleared away to reveal a small, dimly lit room.

I tried to focus my thoughts, taking in everything around me. _A bed,_ I thought briefly, looking at the tattered mattress I was laying on. _I'm on a bed. But where am I?_ With great difficulty, I tried to get myself up, feeling intense waves of pain shoot through my limbs as I propped myself up on my arm. I threw my legs over the edge of the bed to relieve the weight on my arm, realizing how lightheaded I was still feeling. Just then, I noticed something on the wall beside me.

_A window!_ I thought, feeling my heart flutter. _Perhaps it can give me some clue as to where I am._

Ignoring the soreness of my limbs, I threw myself out of bed and ran towards the window, anxious to see what was causing that depressingly white light on the other side of it. But before I could reach it, a fresh wave of pain shot up my arms as I was abruptly jerked backwards, a metallic _clink_ resonating throughout the small room. I groaned and looked back, seeing two long, metal chains that were linked to a single point on the ground behind me. They seemed to be extending towards me, almost as if they were attached to me somehow. I looked down and realized, my heart sinking, that my hands were fully enclosed in what appeared to be steel capsules. Each of the encasings was attached to one of the chains, both of which were firmly attached to the ground. Suddenly, it dawned on me: I was being shackled, almost as if I were a prisoner. Frowning, I wondered why there were shackles in the royal castle that seemed to be made specifically for me. Did my parents have these made? Before I could dwell too much on the thought, I forced myself to bring my attention back to the window. My shackles weren't long enough to let me look outside, but I was able to get a decent view of the outside world by stepping over the chains and leaning as far forward as I could. I looked out the window, squinting due to the bright light outside.

At first, I wasn't sure what I was looking at. All I could see was a swirling wall of whiteness, a blank horizon that seemed to stretch on to eternity, and a few massive, dark shapes in the background. After a few seconds, though, the dark figures started to make sense in my mind.

_They're ships,_ I realized, frowning. _But if those are the ships, then that must mean..._

I gasped. That desolate, icy wasteland I was staring at was the fjord of Arendelle. And if the fjord was completely frozen over, then I could only imagine what horrors were afflicting my kingdom.

"Oh no," I whispered, unable to keep my thoughts to myself. "What have I done?" My eyes scanned over the scene before me. Ships were sticking out of the frozen fjord, unable to move. If the ships were stuck here, that must have meant that the foreign dignitaries were trapped in Arendelle, forced to survive alongside the people I had doomed.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In walked Prince Hans, holding a lantern that did little to illuminate the dreary room. He looked at me tentatively before setting the lantern down on a nearby bench and closing the door. I tensed up as Hans approached me.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, detecting a note of hostility in my own voice. After his little stunt at my ice palace, I couldn't help it if I was feeling a bit threatened by his presence.

"I couldn't just let them kill you," he replied softly, rubbing his arms. I noticed how his breath condensed in the cold air. Being immune to the cold, I hadn't noticed how frigid the air was. But as I looked at Hans, who was desperately trying to keep warm, I suddenly felt an intense pang of guilt.

"But I'm a danger to Arendelle," I responded, looking at my hands. Then, trying to sound authoritative, "Get Anna."

Hans' eyebrows creased in worry. He spoke slowly as he broke the news. "Anna...has not returned."

My eyes went wide as I looked back out the window. I could hear my own heartbeat as I stared at the howling blizzard outside, knowing full well that Anna was out there somewhere. _She's...not back yet? No, that can't be true. If she isn't here in Arendelle, then that could only mean-_

"If you would just stop the winter," Hans gently pleaded, interrupting my thoughts. "Bring back summer...please."

I closed my eyes and shook my head in despair, feeling my heart sink. Was that what this was all about? This was why they had brought me back to Arendelle? So I could somehow make the winter go away? I wished it were that simple. These people had more faith in me than I had. I turned to Hans, on the verge of tears. "Don't you see?" I asked, fighting the sobs that were creeping into my voice. "I _can't._"

Hans could only stare desperately at me, his handsome features glowing softly under the white light as he stood in deep thought.

"You have to tell them to let me go," I begged, a note of urgency in my voice. I knew that staying any longer would only make things worse.

Hans met my eyes, seemingly acknowledging that I couldn't do anything to help. "I will do what I can," he assured me, though I could hear the uncertainty in his words. I watched as Hans picked up his lantern and left the room, leaving me alone once more. As he closed the door behind him, I felt a strange feeling rise up in my chest. It was unpleasant, but strangely familiar. It was a feeling that I thought I had learned to let go of. Though I was afraid to do it, I looked down at my hands, only to be mocked by the sight of my shackles being frozen over.

* * *

Seconds passed. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Before I knew it, the passage of time became vague and uncertain; hours seemed to pass, but whenever I looked out the window, I was always greeted by the light of the sun, discolored into a dismal white as it desperately tried to penetrate the thick, unyielding storm clouds that hung in the air. Growing tired of waiting, I sat on my bed and simply stared at my shackled hands, admitting defeat.

As I listened to the faint howling of the blizzard outside, I thought about Anna, and what kinds of horrors she must have been facing. Where was she? There was no way she could survive that storm by herself. She had to be far away, out of the reach of the blizzard I had created. If she wasn't, then that could only mean...

The coldness in my heart suddenly spread throughout my body. I gasped as, without warning, a thin layer of ice materialized on the bed I sat on, covering the tattered sheets in a white layer of frost. Though my hands were shackled, my magic was somehow able to manifest itself into my surroundings. I held my hands, covered in steel, close to my chest and whispered softly to myself.

"Get a hold of yourself. Conceal...don't feel. Don't feel. Don't-"

"Hey!" came a rough voice from outside the cell, causing me to nearly jump in surprise. "Be quiet in there!"

I stared at the door for a while, wanting to chastise the soldier who had just disrespected his queen. But instead, finding that I had no strength left in me, I simply buried my head in my steel-enclosed hands, sobbing to myself. Once again, I was lost. And alone. So, terribly alone. There was no one left to turn to. Mama, Papa, even Anna - they were all gone. Though I was only in that cell for a few hours, it seemed like I spent a lifetime sitting on that worn-out bed, crying softly to myself. Thirteen years of isolation in my room were nowhere near as miserable as the few hours I spent in that cell. I was tired, I was hurt, I was frightened - more frightened than I had ever been in my life. I could only imagine what they were going to do to me. Were they going to let me go, free to carry out the rest of my miserable existence? Or were they going to execute me? Or, even worse - were they going to keep me in here, never to see the light of day, chained in isolation until the day I die? I wrapped my arms around my body; there was nothing left for me anymore. All I could do was sit and wait.

Everything was silent. The only sounds I could hear were the flickering flames of the torches in the hallway, and the muffled howling of the blizzard outside. My only companions were my thoughts, which were only causing me further anxiety the longer I sat by myself. I was about to fall asleep when I heard a voice from outside.

"It's Princess Anna!" someone seemed to say, though the sound of his voice was stifled by the stone walls that surrounded me. Immediately, I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, hearing the low rumble of the gates being opened. From where I was, I wasn't able to see my sister enter the castle. But as I heard the gates close, a small sigh of relief escaped my lips. I put a shackled hand to my chest, feeling my heartbeat slowly return to normal.

_She's safe,_ I thought, allowing myself a small grin. _Anna's home._

But at that moment, I heard a crackling sound behind me. I looked back to see the stone walls of the dungeon, small rivulets of ice running in between each individual brick. Icicles formed at the corners of the cell, and a sheet of frost was slowly spreading over the window. I realized, in a moment of heartbreaking clarity, that Anna still wasn't safe. Even trapped in this cursed dungeon, I still posed a threat to her. In order to protect her, to keep her alive, I had to leave Arendelle - for good this time. No amount of shackles or stone walls could prevent me from hurting my sister. Even when I had run off to the North Mountain, I had still managed to harm her. But there would be no more of that. There was no time for apologies, no time for good-byes. I had to keep my sister safe.

But how could I escape? My powers were running rampant, my hands were shackled, and I didn't even know where to go. I was trapped. Sitting back on the bed, I scanned the room, trying to figure out an escape plan. I looked around for something that could help me. But all I saw were four stone walls, covered in ice, and a solitary window. There was literally nothing else. The only hope I had of escaping lay in my powers. I could perhaps use them to blast a hole in the wall, or tear open my shackles, or at the very least buy myself some time by freezing the door shut. But, due to my anxiety, my magic was quickly becoming uncontrollable. And with every second, they seemed to be moving further out of my reach. But I had no other choice. I had to escape, or die trying.

I concentrated on the cold feeling in my heart. _Control it,_ I thought, trying to divert my magic into my hands. _Conceal, don't feel. Don't let it show._

But instead of destroying my shackles, my magic spread around me, thickening the layer of frost that lined the walls. I gasped, watched helplessly as the gray stones around me were quickly covered in a dismal white.

"Calm down," I had to tell myself. "Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel." To distract myself, I focused my attention away from my powers for a bit. Instead, I decided to look outside. A bad move on my part; seeing the fjord, frozen over, laden with ships that stuck out of the ice like colossal, monstrous figures, only served to increase my stress tenfold. I thought of Arendelle, and what sort of horrible punishment I had inflicted upon my people. I thought of Anna, and what she was going through. Was she going to be okay? Was she somehow saved from the curse of her frozen heart? Or was she too late? I couldn't bear the thought of Anna dying - especially since I was the one who had endangered her in the first place.

As if spurred on by my stress, my magic flowed out of my heart and into my surroundings. I looked back and saw the rest of the room freeze over, ice covering the floors and ceiling. _No,_ I thought. _I can't be losing control again. Not now, of all times..._ I tried to calm myself down, but it was no use. The ice kept spreading throughout the room. It would only be a matter of time before the entire cell was frozen over.

_There's no time to stop and think,_ I thought. _If I want to keep everyone safe, I have to leave now._

I desperately tugged on my chains, hoping the ice would have weakened them. But they didn't budge one bit. I pulled harder, but the chains remained stubbornly attached to the ground, refusing to move in the slightest. For a while, it seemed like all hope of escape was lost.

At that moment, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway, followed by a rough voice. "Hurry up!" said a guard, speaking to his partner. "She's dangerous." My eyes shot towards the door, where I saw dark shapes moving across the window. What did they want with me?

There was no time to find out. Whatever they were going to do to me, I knew it wasn't going to be good. I pulled harder on the chains as my powers rapidly grew stronger and more unstable. I heard the rattle of the keys as they were inserted in the lock, followed by the twisting of the doorknob. I pulled harder on the chains, expecting the guards to come in at that moment. But instead of opening the door and killing me right then and there, I was greeted by silence, and then the shaking of the door as the guard tried to open it, as if it were locked.

"It won't open!" he yelled in frustration. Still pulling on my chains, I briefly looked at the door, only to see it covered in a thickening layer of ice. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's frozen shut!" the other guard said, struggling to open the door. I stopped tugging on my chains for a split second, grateful that my powers were keeping me safe. But I knew the door wouldn't hold up forever. The guard started banging angrily on the door, trying to knock it down. His repeated pounding echoed throughout the cell, sending a fresh wave of cold magic through my body with every repetition. I focused all my strength into my arms, pulling the iron chains as hard as I possibly could. But they still weren't moving. Beads of sweat started forming on my forehead. My stress was quickly getting out of hand. Before I knew what was going on, a deep grumble shook the walls of the cell. I stopped pulling on my chains and looked at my surroundings helplessly, seeing that the frozen walls of the cell were starting to fall apart under the weight of the ice. As the guard continued striking the wooden door, my anxiety reached a tipping point, and the layer of ice became too heavy for the walls to handle. With a mighty crash, the stone walls came tumbling down, breaking apart my shackles in the process. Immediately, a blast of cold air filled the room. And just in time, too, because at that exact moment, the guards came bursting through the door, though they stopped cold upon seeing the destroyed walls of the dungeon cell. Luckily, I had managed to escape through the hole where the wall once was, not stopping to look back as I charged into the blizzard ahead of me.

And there I was. Elsa the Snow Queen, lost in a storm of her own creation. I ran and ran, though I had no clue where I was going. All I knew was that I had to get as far away from Arendelle as I possibly could. And this time, I knew I would have to be gone for good.


	19. The Sacrifice

"I, Elsa of Arendelle, hereby solemnly swear, in sickness and in health, to govern the people and territories of Arendelle, and to uphold the laws and customs of this nation. I promise to put the needs of my kingdom above my own, and to never falter in the face of danger and adversity. I promise to devote my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength towards the well-being of the nation of Arendelle, and more importantly, the people who inhabit it. I promise to treat all my contemporaries, be they peasants or princesses, with equality and love. So help me God."

And then the bishop placed the crown on my head. And just like that, I was Arendelle's queen. From that moment forth, the people of Arendelle looked towards me, expecting me to carry out those promises.

But as I ran further into the howling blizzard, I couldn't help but think of how I had broken every single one of those promises. I had selfishly run away from my kingdom when my secret was discovered. It wasn't a measure taken to protect my people, but an act of pure cowardice. I had shattered my sister's only chance at happiness, widening the rift that had torn us apart for thirteen years. Furthermore, I had pushed my sister away when she only wanted to help me, injuring her both physically and emotionally. Finally, I had placed an icy curse on my kingdom, sentencing all my subjects to lonesome, miserable deaths.

But instead of trying to fix the problem, here I was, running away from it, breaking the royal oath once more. I didn't dare to think of what Papa would have said.

_If only he can see me now,_ I thought grimly, advancing forward in the relentless blizzard I had unwittingly created.

All around me, there was nothing but white. I held my arm out in front of myself, doing little to block my face from the relentless torrent of snow that buffeted me from all sides. The magic in my heart was growing stronger with every step I took. My powers were consuming me from the inside out; with every fearful step I took, I could feel my body growing colder and colder. I didn't know what was happening to me, or why my powers seemed to be growing more uncontrollable as I ran further from Arendelle. All I could think about was Anna, and that I had to get as far away from her as possible.

I kept running for as long as my limbs would allow. My legs were growing painful, and my breathing was growing heavier. No matter how long I ran, it seemed like I wasn't getting anywhere. Everywhere I looked, it was always the exact same sight: a vast expanse of white that stretched on for as far as I could see, sparsely littered with frozen ships that jutted out of the ice. As I continued fleeing further into the swirling blizzard, I started to get the dreadful feeling that I was running in circles. The black ships started to look familiar to me, colossal structures that seemed to mock me with every useless turn I took. I couldn't see where I was going. I was trapped in my own storm. Overwhelmed, I stumbled backwards, shoved back by the powerful wind.

It was then when I noticed the dark outline of a man behind me, obscured by the whiteness of the storm. I gasped and tried to run away, but he quickly called out to me, like he had something important to say. Despite the howling winds that drowned out all noise, I immediately recognized the man's voice.

It was Hans. My captor. He had somehow managed to follow me out here, despite the growing blizzard. How he had managed to do it, I'll never know. But there he stood, right behind me, a look of worry on his face.

"Queen Elsa!" he yelled, trying to keep his volume above the storm. "You can't run from this!"

I turned around to face him. He was bravely fighting against the blizzard, trying to stand upright against the powerful winds as he walked towards me. He looked right into my eyes, the anxiety on his face as plain as day. I stared back at him, trying to find the right thing to say. But the words didn't come to me.

_Doesn't he see?_ I thought. _It's no use trying to talk me down. I can't go back. I won't go back. He needs to go away, before I harm him, too._

"Just...take care of my sister," I said sadly, struggling to keep my voice above the roaring winds.

Hans' brow pinched in sorrow. He seemed hesitant to respond. "Your sister?" he said slowly, treating the subject delicately. "She returned from the mountain, weak and cold. She said you froze her heart."

My heart coiled tightly at the news. "What? No..." I whispered. It was all I could manage to articulate. So it was true, then? I really did freeze her heart? And she really was back at the castle, dying? My mind was unable to bear the news, but it was incredibly hard not to believe it.

Hans continued, his face wrought with pain. "I tried to save her, but it was too late! Her skin was ice, her hair turned white." My heart was furiously pounding in my chest, sending cold tremors throughout my body. I looked at Hans with wide eyes, silently, desperately pleading for him to drop the subject.

I stood frozen in fear, pain, and guilt. I stared right through Hans, wanting to shut him out. Wanting to shut everything out. _Don't say it, Hans. Please, I beg of you, don't say it..._

Hans threw his arms down in despair, fighting tears. And then he said it. The single most harrowing sentence I would ever come to hear in my life.

"Your sister is dead...because of you."

I felt every word. Every painful, excruciating word. It felt like I had just been stabbed in the gut.

But instead of a violent storm of emotions, there was absolutely nothing. No anger, no fear, no guilt. Just a dreadful silence, and an intense ringing in my ears. I stared at Hans, wide-eyed, feeling the cold, empty void that had torn itself into my heart.

_I...killed her?_

And then, without warning, everything came tumbling down.

A painful feeling built up in my stomach, knocking all my breath out of me, preventing me from speaking another word. My legs gave out on me, causing me to stumble backwards helplessly. My mind was reeling; all my thoughts swirled together in a dark, chaotic haze that blocked my senses, causing the world around me to fade in and out of existence. A dull, thrashing pain whipped around in my chest as my eyes filled with tears. All around me, the blizzard increased in strength as my vision grew blurry. The storm, my thoughts, my emotions - everything grew stronger and stronger, until I started to feel faint.

And then, it was all released. Unable to take it anymore, I fell to my knees and broke out into a full sob, feeling my magic flow out of me as the storm came to an abrupt halt. Snowflakes hung in the cold air, suspended by grief.

And then everything was silent. The wind had died down completely. The only sound that broke the silence was my own quiet sobbing. I kept my head low and held my hand up to my face, watching through blurry eyes as my tears fell onto the cold, hard ice. All the while, I felt a dark, gaping expanse of nothingness within me, tearing me apart from the inside out. Time seemed to stand still. For what seemed like hours, I seemed to be trapped in that one moment, broken, crying, and empty, while Hans stood behind me, silently observing everything.

It was then when I heard the sound of steel running against steel, the resulting _shing_ resonating ominously throughout the cold air. It was an unfamiliar sound, but I was able to recognize it all too well: it was the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

I didn't bother looking back. I knew where the sound had come from. Hans, slowly approaching me from behind, was wielding his sword menacingly, preparing to strike. At that moment, his intentions became all too clear. Everything he had done was all part of his master plan. His plan to gain power, and as much of it as possible.

Hans wanted to become Arendelle's king. That was why he had gotten engaged to my sister, and brought me back from my palace in the North Mountain, only to end up killing me. It was all planned by him. But the realization didn't shock me as badly as it should have. After hearing of my sister's death, Hans' attempt to seize power was nothing but an afterthought. At the moment, the only thought on my mind was that Anna was dead, and it was all my fault.

As I knelt weeping, I slowly became aware of Hans' towering presence looming behind me. But I didn't bother turning around, I didn't bother trying to defend myself. There was no use going on. Everyone I held dear to me was dead. There was nothing left for me to live for.

_Let him do his worst,_ I thought. _It's what I deserve._ As Hans raised his sword above his head, I cried harder, afraid to die, yet perfectly willing. _I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry, Papa. I'm sorry, Anna. I've failed. _I bowed my head in defeat, and prepared to meet my death.

But that blow never came. Now, in my shocked, overwhelmed state, I wasn't quite able to process what happened next. But after the story was told to me a few days later, the details became clear.

Hans, a sadistic smirk on his face, slashed downward, intending to drive the blade of his sword into the base of my skull. But at that very moment, he was stopped by Anna, who, as it turned out, was still alive, but clinging on for dear life. My sister used the last of her strength to throw herself between me and Hans, screaming for him to stop. And then, a split second before Hans struck her, my sister finally succumbed to her frozen heart. Ice spread rapidly from her heart into her limbs as the curse took full effect, the force of it knocking Hans backwards, unconscious.

And then, once again, all was silent. My sister gave one last, faint breath before finally surrendering to the icy magic that had consumed her.

It took me a few seconds to notice Anna behind me. But when I turned around to face her, all I saw was a blue statue of ice, standing tall and protective, its back turned towards me. I looked at it with wide eyes, suddenly realizing the full gravity of the situation.

"Anna!" I screamed, getting up to face her. My dear sister, forever frozen in a state of fear. She held one arm out before she died, attempting to stop Hans' sword. To protect me.

She had used the last few precious seconds of her life to defend me. Her sister, who had shut her out, destroyed her chance of happiness, and frozen her heart. Despite all of it, she still loved me. Anna, the sister I had tried to push away, still loved me more than anyone else in the world.

At that time, Olaf and Anna's friend - the one who I had seen a few days ago at the ice castle - gathered around, devastated expressions on their faces. I looked at them with desperate eyes, silently hoping, begging them to do something. But they only reciprocated my pained expression, bowing their heads and mourning the loss of their friend.

I turned back to my sister, gazing deep into her anxious eyes. "Oh, Anna," I whispered, trying in vain to think of something I could do. "No...no..." I traced my fingers along the frozen contours of her face, which was eternally trapped in an expression of deathly fear. "Please, no..." I placed my hands on her cheeks, remembering the warmth they once held.

Suddenly, the black, empty void within me was filled with a chaotic mess of emotions - fear, anger, guilt, but mostly despair. Black, immeasurable despair that consumed me from the inside out as I fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around my cold, dead sister. For the first time in thirteen years, I allowed myself to cry. Not the quiet, controlled sobs that had frequently afflicted me over the past few days, but pure, unadulterated weeping that echoed softly into the cold, otherwise silent air. I didn't care how miserable I must have looked. I just buried my face in Anna's cold shoulder and let my tears cascade down her ice-cold corpse. As I knelt before my dead sister, I remembered the life we shared together. I remembered her as a baby, when I saw the little bundle of joy that was wrapped in Mama's arms. I remembered teaching her how to be a princess, and visiting her bedside every day while she was sick. I remembered the unconditional love she always held for me, and the special, undeserved place I occupied in her heart as she eagerly knocked on my door every day, asking, begging for me to come out and play with her once more. She had always been such a warm, playful girl, so full of life and energy. She was my source of strength, my best and only friend. She had never stopped loving me, despite everything I had put her through.

But now here she was, a silent, lifeless statue of ice. Dead by my own hand. Memories were all I could hold on to. I cried harder as I wrapped my arms tighter around her ice-cold body. Once again, my sister's life had been endangered by my magic. And this time, I couldn't save her.

Or so I thought. Now, I'm not exactly sure how long I stayed kneeling before my sister, weeping uncontrollably. But I can say, without a doubt, that it was the lowest point of my entire life. I genuinely thought I had lost my sister.

It took around a minute before the magic finally took place.

It started as a small source of warmth, originating in her heart. In my state of despair, didn't notice it at first. But slowly, gradually, it spread outwards, causing her entire body to warm up. Her frozen figure grew softer in my arms, like the ice was being replaced by something new. Then, my head still pressed against Anna's bosom, I heard a faint, rhythmic beating initiate somewhere inside her. It sounded like...a heartbeat? I stared at the floor with wide, teary eyes, unable to process what was happening.

_Is she really...?_

Anna's body grew softer and warmer in my arms. I could sense magic flowing out of her as she took a more relaxed position, letting out a single breath.

My eyes, wide with disbelief, filled with fresh tears.

I looked up and, with an overwhelming feeling of euphoric relief, saw Anna, my sister, looking exhausted and mildly confused, but perfectly alive and well. "Anna!" I cried, smiling. She weakly grinned back in response. Then, before she could say anything, I quickly stood up and wrapped her in a tight embrace, filled with all the love and passion that had been missing between us for the past thirteen years. My head rested on her shoulder as I closed my eyes, feeling her warm body in my arms, making sure this was all real. In that moment, it was just the two of us - me and Anna, finally reunited after so many years of separation.

"Oh, Elsa," she breathed, resting her head on my shoulder.

I pulled away from my sister and gazed into her deep, blue eyes. "You sacrificed yourself for me?" I still couldn't believe it.

Anna smiled, as if the answer was obvious. She took my hands into hers. "I love you," she replied simply, her voice still weak.

I heard a loud gasp from my right. I turned and saw Olaf, a big smile on his face. "An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart!" he eagerly explained, as if reciting something he had heard before.

I looked at Olaf, mulling over his words. _An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart...?_ I thought. _True love will thaw a frozen heart. True love will thaw..._ What did that mean? I went over the words out loud, feeling like I was on the verge of something great. "Love will thaw."

And then it dawned on me. A smile crept across my face as I finally discovered the answer to my problem. The problem that had afflicted me for over thirteen years. The problem that my parents had tried so desperately to solve.

The secret to controlling my powers.

"Love," I said softly, looking back at Anna. "Of course!" How could I have been unable to figure it out before? The answer was so simple, so obvious!

"Elsa?" Anna asked, smiling, as I released her hands from mine.

"Love!" I repeated eagerly, spreading out my arms. And then, with a confidence that I had never known before, I once again summoned my powers, which were accompanied by a warm, fiery feeling that I hadn't felt in years. Magic flowed out of my heart and into the air around me, causing the snowflakes to gradually start receding upward.

Anna gasped, realizing what I had meant.

I raised my arms higher, waves of icy magic surging through the air, counterbalanced by the new, warm feeling that was quickly building in my chest. I watched from the fjord as the frozen town of Arendelle slowly returned to normal. Water that had been frozen began to flow as usual. The snow and ice that lined rooftops and windows rose into the sky. The dark storm clouds that hung over Arendelle gradually parted to reveal bright, blue skies that shone cheerfully over the town. Citizens began to open their windows and step out their doors, eagerly taking in the light of the sun.

Meanwhile, the fjord started to thaw as a ship rose up from beneath us. All the snow and ice that had previously covered Arendelle gathered into sparkling streams of magic that rose higher in the sky, culminating in a gigantic snowflake that hovered over the town. With a wave of my hands, the snowflake dissolved into the air, sending cloudy wisps of snow and magic outward. At last, the eternal winter was lifted. From the town of Arendelle, the sound of cheering gradually came forth.

Anna put a hand on my shoulder. "I knew you could do it," she said, the optimism in her voice quickly returning.

"Hands down, this is the best day of my life," Olaf said happily, despite the fact that the summer sun was quickly turning him into a puddle. "And...quite possibly the last."

"Oh, Olaf!" I said, giggling. "Hang on, little guy." I waved my hand, restoring Olaf to his full, completely solid form. Then, with a flick of my wrist, a small cloud _poofed_ into existence above him. It followed him as he moved around, providing him with a constant flurry of snow. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about melting, even in the heat of summer. A stroke of genius on my part, if I do say so myself. With the fascination of a young child, Olaf looked at the cloud and jumped up and down in excitement.

"My own personal flurry!" he squealed in a very Anna-esque fashion. He chuckled and clasped his arms together, grateful.

Anna and I briefly smiled at each other before we heard a grunt come from the side of the ship. We turned in unison and saw, of all people, Hans, regaining consciousness as he shakily stood up, propping himself against the side of the ship. At that moment, Anna's friend - whose name I still didn't know, for some reason - stormed angrily towards the disoriented prince, intending to teach him a lesson. But he was quickly stopped by Anna, who had a reassuring expression on her face that I had seen multiple times when we were kids. _It's alright,_ she seemed to say through her smile alone. _I'll handle this._

Anna calmly walked towards Hans, her face as blank and emotionless as she could manage. He looked up at her, utterly bewildered at the turn of events, as he slowly stood up straight. This was most definitely _not_ what he had planned. "Anna?" he asked. "But...she froze your heart!" His eyes darted towards me, his intended victim. I smiled and subtly waved at him, showing him that I was perfectly alive and well.

"The only frozen heart around here is _yours,_" Anna replied in the most serious tone she could muster up. Instead of being intimidated, Hans only stared at her dumbfoundedly. Anna turned away from him, a smug grin on her face. Then, without warning, she whipped around, grabbed Hans by the collar, and delivered a swift punch to his face, sending him careening over the ship's edge and into the water below. I giggled politely as Olaf fell to the ground, laughing hysterically. As uncouth as it was, the guy deserved it.

Anna turned back towards me, opening her arms lovingly. I smiled warmly at her, and then noticed something extraordinary: the white streak in her hair was finally gone. It was probably removed when she was healed of her frozen heart. I let out a breath of relief and embraced her tightly, not letting go for the world.

The pain of the past had been erased. At long last, peace had finally come between us.


	20. Thawed

"Come on, Elsa!" Anna squealed excitedly, pulling me by the hand.

I smiled, unsure of what to say. "Oh, I don't know, Anna..."

"Come on! What are you so afraid of?"

"Well, I did unleash an eternal winter on the town."

"_And_ you ended it, too! That's got to count for something, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"No time for buts! Come on, everyone's going to love you!"

I sighed. There was no arguing with my sister.

Anna pulled me by the hand, leading me through the city gates and into the town of Arendelle. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What was everyone going to think of me? Would they still be scared of me? Would I be greeted by a chorus of hushed voices, whispering nervously to each other? I knew I had just done plenty to make up for my past mistakes, but I was still uncertain of how the people of Arendelle would view me.

Fortunately, as I discovered, my worries were unfounded. As soon as I entered the gates, I was greeted with a wave of applause. The entire population of Arendelle was gathered around the main road, loudly cheering for me and Anna as we slowly proceeded towards the castle. Some of the citizens were holding balloons, adding a variety of bright colors to the already cheerful town. My sister, happily absorbing all the attention, waved excitedly at the crowd, holding me by the hand. I, on the other hand, found it hard to believe that all these people were here for me. I simply walked alongside Anna, gazing in awe at the vast crowd of people that surrounded us.

"Wave!" Anna said to me. "You're not gonna do anything by just staring at them!"

I mustered up my courage and lifted my left hand, forcing myself to smile as I waved nervously at the crowd. The effect was immediate. The cheering of the crowd increased about tenfold, the sheer volume of it flooding my ears, nearly causing me to go deaf. I could hear countless people calling out my name. Even Anna was startled with the crowd's reaction.

"Wow," she said. "I know I said they'd love you, but...wow, this...just, wow. You're a superstar, Elsa!"

I laughed, suddenly full of confidence after seeing the crowd's reaction. It looked like I wasn't going to be feared after all. Despite everything I had done, I was still loved and respected by all my subjects, and nothing relieved me more than that.

* * *

I stood on the castle's balcony, watching contentedly from above as the town of Arendelle set up festivities once more, just as it had done on the day of my coronation. Maypoles and colorful banners were hung in the village square, glowing warmly under the light of the sun. The town of Arendelle looked as festive and colorful as it had on my coronation day.

_That was only three days ago,_ I thought as I watched over the town. _So much has changed since then.__  
_

Beside me, Olaf struggled to get a good view, trying in vain to look over the balcony's railing. Laughing softly, I picked him up, like a little kid, and set him down on the railing, where he sat contentedly. "Thanks!" he said before turning to face the festive scene.

The two of us stayed like this, quietly watching as the citizens of Arendelle decorated the sunlit town. As I watched over the scene, I noticed Anna in the village square, alongside her mysterious friend. From my position on the balcony, I couldn't quite get a good look at him, but I could see that he had blonde hair, and wore clothes more suited for a rugged life in the mountains than in a cozy town like Arendelle. Who was he, and why was he hanging around my sister?

Olaf seemed to read my mind. "You wondering who that guy is?"

"Hmm?"

"That guy next to Anna. You know who I'm talking about. That big, manly, blonde guy!"

Interesting choice of words. "Yes, actually, I am. Do you know who he is, Olaf?"

Olaf turned his body to face me. "Of course! Yeah, that's Sven. Er, Kristoff. His name's Kristoff."

"Kristoff. Hmm. Is he a friend of yours?"

Olaf gasped. "You mean you don't know about him?"

I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Well, I did spend the last few days either secluded in the North Mountain, or in prison. I'm sorry, but I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting him."

"Right," Olaf said, turning back to face Arendelle. "Well, he's not a bad guy, you know. He just smells. Like,_really_ bad. Probably because of that reindeer he sleeps with."

I looked at Olaf with wide eyes, though the snowman's gaze remained fixed on Kristoff. "Wait...reindeer?"

"Yeah. Oh, but don't get the wrong idea! He's actually a really nice guy! He's warm, and soft, and so, so, cuddly! Except when he tries to eat my nose. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he has fleas. Don't tell anyone, though!"

I could feel my breath rush out of my lungs. "F-fleas?!" I watched in alarm as Kristoff and Anna walked throughout the village square, walking uncomfortably close to each other. He wrapped a hefty arm around her slender waist, pulling her even closer to himself. "What's my sister doing with him?!" I asked, not realizing how frantic my voice had suddenly grown.

Olaf looked at me in confusion for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "Not Kristoff!" he barely managed to say. "Sven! I'm talking about Sven!" Then, after catching his breath, "Whew. You're really out of it today, aren't you? Are you tired or something?"

I giggled, realizing my mistake. "Yeah, I guess so. So, who's Sven?"

"Sven's the reindeer. You know, Kristoff's platonic, non-human life partner!"

"The reindeer he...sleeps with?"

Olaf nodded. "Yeah."

I looked back at Anna and Kristoff. They seemed so happy together. But I wasn't quite comfortable seeing my sister so close to a man who sleeps with reindeer. At the very least, she would start smelling like reindeer every day. She'd have to take baths every morning, and-

"You know, Kristoff isn't too shabby either," Olaf said, interrupting my thought process.

I looked at the snowman. "Oh? How so?"

Olaf then went on to explain the many things Kristoff had done for my sister. It was actually thanks to him that my sister was able to find my ice palace. He had also helped her escape from the snow monster I had created, taking her to safety (Olaf said he used his "thick skull" to save the day, though I didn't bother asking what that meant). When he found out that I had frozen her heart, he took her to the trolls, who, as it turned out, happened to be his surrogate family! Who knew? He was told that only an "act of true love" could save Anna, so he selflessly rushed her back to Arendelle, and into the arms of that traitorous prince, Hans, who only ended up betraying her. During the blizzard, Kristoff returned to Arendelle, planning to save Anna himself. If it weren't for her decision to protect me from Hans, Kristoff probably would have succeeded in saving my sister.

I smiled, listening to Olaf's recollection of events. For the past few days, I had never spoken a word to Kristoff, but I could already tell that he genuinely loved my sister, placing her own needs before his own. Unlike Hans, Kristoff risked his life trying to protect her. People like him were actually pretty hard to come by.

_And besides,_ I figured, _with all the crazy things she gets herself into, my sister can really use a protective figure in her life._

At that moment, I heard the familiar pitter-patter of Anna's footsteps rushing up the stairs. Olaf and I turned around just in time to see my sister burst through the balcony doors, panting heavily.

"Elsa!" she called out loudly, though I was only a few feet in front of her. "I need to ask...whew...okay, just give me a moment here..." I stifled my laughter, waiting for Anna to catch her breath. Then, as she stood up straight, "Whew. Okay. So, I have a huge favor to ask you."

"Anything you want," I replied.

"Okay. So, you know Kristoff right? Wait, no, who am I kidding? You've never met. Anyway, there's this guy, Kristoff-"

"Don't worry," I said. "I already know about him, thanks to Olaf here." Olaf waved at Anna from his spot on the balcony railing.

Anna smiled. "Well okay then! Less stuff for me to explain." Then, after a slight pause, "So, um, listen...I need a sled."

"A sled? Why would you need a sled?"

"It's not for me. It's for Kristoff."

"And why would _he_ need a sled?"

"He harvests ice for a living, _duh,_" Anna replied, as if the answer should have been obvious. "He needs to get around. And...well, I may or may not have destroyed his old one."

I honestly wasn't surprised. "Oh, Anna," I said with a smile, shaking my head.

She was quick to respond. "But no, it wasn't my fault! It was those stupid wolves."

My eyes widened, and for a split second, I lost my posture. "W-wolves? Anna, when did you-"

"But, I mean, when you think about it, it was his idea to throw me onto Sven's back, and then send the both of us flying across the cliff while the sled fell to the bottom and exploded. So I guess that makes it his fault too, then? Hmm. What do you think, Elsa?"

I couldn't tell if she was joking, so I simply said nothing.

She continued talking. "But anyway, I told him that I owe him another one. I don't know why I did that, since it was clearly his fault, but, I mean, I kinda promised him. And since you're the queen, you can get your hands on anything you want, right? Like, say, a sled? One that has cup holders?"

I smiled. "It's not that simple, Anna."

Anna ran up to me and took my hands in hers. "Oh, please, please, please, Elsa? Look, I promise I'll owe you for _life _if you do this one thing for me. Er, for him. For us. Please, Elsa?" She looked at me with those big, blue eyes, the same ones she used to show me when we were kids, and she was trying to convince me to do something stupid.

I was never able to resist them. "Oh, alright," I said, smiling. "I'll do what I can. But no promises, understand?"

But Anna was already wrapping her arms around my waist. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much he's going to love it. Make sure it has cup holders, okay?"

I laughed. "Okay, Anna. Oh, but you have to promise me something."

Anna looked up at me. "Yeah, anything."

"If he decides to propose to you sometime within the next three years or so...don't say yes."

She pulled away from me. "Aw, what? Three years? I know I was going a bit too fast with Hans, but Kristoff is different! I mean, yeah, he doesn't smell like daisies like Hans does, but he's sweet, and caring, and kind...and he saved my life, Elsa. Isn't that true love?"

I looked into Anna's eyes, and saw sincerity in every single word. She really did love him, didn't she?

"Okay, okay," I said, giving in once again to Anna's pleas. "One year. He can propose to you in one year. But no sooner, understand?"

Anna groaned. "One year? You call that compromise? It's like-" Then she caught herself mid-sentence, adjusted her posture, and, to my surprise, smiled. "Actually, yeah. One year sounds nice."

I smiled. It looked like my sister was finally learning a few things about love.

"Oh," she said before walking out, "there's one other thing I wanted to show you." Before I could ask, Anna retrieved a glistening, blue item from inside her dress (I didn't dare ask how long it had been in there) and held it out eagerly. It took me a while to recognize it, but when I did, I couldn't help but gasp.

It was a tiara made of ice. Just like the one I had given to her so many years ago, when she first exited her room after surviving that life-threatening sickness. In the light of the sun, it almost seemed to be glowing.

"Wait...Anna, is that...?"

"Yup. You want to hold it?"

Anna placed the delicate, shimmering crown in my hands. It was quite small, as it had been built to fit the head of a three-year old girl. But as it sat in my hands, it felt like it weighed a million pounds.

"I've been saving it in my room all this time. Pretty cool, right?"

I looked at Anna in amazement. "How...? How did it survive all these years?"

Anna smiled smugly. "Power of love, Elsa. I told you!"

I laughed a little, though I wasn't any less awestruck by the jewel-like crown that sat in my hands. "The power of love, Anna?"

"Well, that was what I wanted to believe, anyway. I know it sounds stupid, but...well, during those thirteen years when you were trapped in my room, I'd knock on your door every day, asking you to come out. And you said no every time. Remember that?"

I nodded slowly, not knowing where she was going with this.

"Sometimes it became too much for me to handle. But I never gave up hope. You know why?"

"Why?"

She pointed at the tiara. "That thing you're holding. It kept me going every day. Whenever I was feeling down, I'd go into my room and cry. I'd think, for the briefest of moments, that you didn't love me anymore. But then I'd see that crown on the shelf, perfectly intact. I'd remember the time you gave it to me. And then I'd be reminded that yeah, you did still love me. Because if you didn't, well...then that crown would have melted long, long ago."

It was then when I realized that my eyes were welling up with tears. "Oh, Anna-"

"Sounds stupid, right?" she said, trying to hold back some tears of her own. "I mean, my room was pretty cold. I wouldn't be surprised if it-"

I wrapped her in a tight hug, cutting her off. And she didn't say anything more. She simply hugged me back, and let a few tears fall onto my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Anna," I said. "Sorry for pushing you away all those years. I can't-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Anna said, trying to sound cheerful. "I know you couldn't really help it. It wasn't your fault, Elsa."

I pulled away from Anna. "And for the record, the answer was yes. All those years, I wanted nothing more than to build a snowman with you. Every time you asked, the answer was always yes."

Anna laughed. "Looks like you built one without me," she said as she gestured towards Olaf, who was still sitting on the balcony.

"Um, don't mind me," Olaf said quickly. "Just...sitting here."

Anna and I giggled for a while before I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much for understanding, Anna. It means so much to me." Then, trying to sound more upbeat, "Now, I believe you need to see someone about a sled?"

"Right," Anna quickly replied as she turned around, preparing to head back downstairs. "See you in the courtyard, Elsa!"

I waved goodbye as Anna rushed down the stairs, nearly bumping into Kai on her way out. The man straightened himself, quickly muttered an apology, and made his way towards me. I quickly wiped away one last tear before Kai stepped onto the balcony.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing, "it's time. Everyone is waiting for you in the courtyard, just like you planned. Are you ready?"

I helped Olaf down from the balcony railing, then turned to face Kai. "Of course," I replied. "It's time to put on a show."

* * *

"Are you ready?" I called out, standing in the middle of the courtyard.

In response, the people of Arendelle cheered happily as they gathered around. Many of them were holding ice skates, in preparation for what was going to happen next.

_Here we go,_ I thought as I lifted my skirt and stomped on the ground. In response, a sheet of ice blossomed beneath my foot, spreading around the courtyard in swirling, graceful patterns. The magic covered the entire floor of the courtyard in a sparkling layer of ice, while also spreading up the columns that surrounded us, transforming them into beautiful pillars that featured elegant, intricately woven designs. Then, I waved my arms, causing the courtyard fountains to freeze over. The streams of water were immediately transformed into curved, fluid ice structures that glistened brilliantly under the light of the sun. Finally, as a finishing touch, I brought my hands together, forming a glowing snowball that hovered in front of me. After pouring enough magic into it, I threw it high into the air, where it exploded like a firework, causing a shimmering flurry of snow to fall from the sky. Countless snowflakes, glowing blue with magic, fell onto the courtyard, which, through my magic, had been transformed into a large ice skating rink. The people of Arendelle marveled at the decorations before putting on their ice skates and sliding around.

In the midst of the celebration, I happily watched the festive scene play itself before me. I saw Olaf, sliding around on his belly like a penguin. He expertly weaved in between the legs of the skaters, laughing all the way. Kristoff was hanging tightly to his reindeer Sven, who himself was desperately trying to keep his balance on the ice. Kai was skating like a professional, spinning around and doing tricks, while Gerda sat on the fountain, watching the festivities with teary eyes.

I turned around just in time to see Anna, shakily staggering towards me, not wearing any skates. She fell forward, right into my arms, before looking at me and smiling.

"I like the open gates," she said, her voice as bubbly as ever.

I grinned. "We are never closing them again," I replied before gesturing towards her feet. A wave of magic flowed from my hand and towards her boots, transforming them into ice skates.

Anna gasped, appreciative, but nervous. She tried to explain how she wasn't good at skating, but I wouldn't hear it. With an excitement I had never seen in myself before, I pulled my sister onto the ice, encouraging her all the way. At first, she had trouble keeping her balance, but due to Olaf's intervention, we continued along just fine.

And we skated. We skated until our feet were sore, and then we continued. In that moment, I felt like I was on top of the world, like I had truly overcome all my troubles and worries. Because not only did I save my kingdom from a terrible curse, and not only did I learn how to control my powers, but I had also learned how to love again. And that was the one thing I had been missing all my life. The one thing I had lost all those years ago, when I thought the solution to my problems lay in isolation and self-harm. The one thing that my sister had brought back to me, despite everything I had put her through. And nothing else in the world made me happier than recovering that one thing, that one piece of myself that I still keep within me to this day, and will continue protecting and cherishing until the day I die. And I have no one else to thank but my dear sister, who had shown me the way when I had lost my path.

Yes, I suppose Elsa the Snow Queen got her happy ending after all.


	21. Epilogue - One Year Later

Ah, but that all happened a year ago. So much has changed since then. People have come and gone, developments have arisen (both good and bad), and my little sister is growing up to be a strong, independent young lady. But more on that later.

Ever since my return, the kingdom of Arendelle has thrived. Our economy has boomed, and we have formed close ties with several of the world's most powerful nations. Apparently, every kingdom wants to be allied with a magical queen. Who knew? But, despite any sort of magical abilities I may have, I still have responsibilities as Arendelle's ruler. I still have a lot to learn about being queen, but I'm gradually getting the hang of it. As of now, Arendelle is slowly but steadily growing more and more powerful. In fact, it's managed to make its way into the "United Council," an alliance consisting of the seven most powerful nations in the midwestern world. Arendelle had to take the slot in the council previously reserved for Weselton. I don't think the Duke is too happy about that.

Speaking of whom, I haven't heard much from him lately. After his little crusade on my palace, I decided that resuming friendly business with him was not the best idea. Besides, he probably didn't like the fact that I had powers, much less that I nearly used them to kill two of his men. So, in order to avoid some awkward apologies (which would have done little to win his favor anyway), I decided to cut off business with Weselton altogether. The Duke was none too pleased, but I'm sure he managed to do fine without me. Actually, from what I hear, he got married a few weeks ago. Naturally, I wasn't invited to the wedding. From what I heard, though, the reception was fantastic. There was music, food, and - of course - dancing. The Duke enthralled the crowd with his unique set of "moves." It was spectacular. All in all, I'd say he's doing pretty well, despite everything that's been thrown at him.

Hans, on the other hand...well, let's just say it's a different story. After his failed assassination attempt, he was unceremoniously sent back to the Southern Isles, his homeland. There, he was faced with countless rebukes from his twelve older brothers, followed by a good, long lecture by his (rather scary) father. The poor guy was then thrown into prison, and before long, an execution date was announced! Poor Prince Hans was falling apart with worry. Luckily, due to Anna's (and my) intervention, he was spared his fate, and was even released from prison. He never got a chance to say thanks, but something tells me he's too proud to do so anyway. Now, Hans is a better man who does honest work. At least, that's what he told Anna a few days ago, when she decided to pay him a visit. Secretly, I think he's just trying to think up another scheme to gain power.

Olaf, having nowhere else to stay, has been living with us in the royal castle. Life has been good for the little snowman. He loves being treated like royalty, pretending he's a prince. He even has his own room! It has a little bed made of snow (made by me, of course), as well as a fireplace installed at his own request. He seems to love sitting in front of the flames, though I often have to warn him about melting - something he forgets about all too often. When he's bored, he likes to wander around the village square, where he has gained a celebrity status as the world's first living snowman. The citizens adore him! The kids are particularly fond of him. They like to play games with him and show him the warmth of the summer sun. On occasion, they tease him by stealing his nose and running around town, hiding it in the most random places, like in the fountain, or in someone's fireplace. The little snowman always gets it back by the end of the day, though. However, there are also a few people who are a little unsettled by him. He is, after all, a living snowman. You don't really see much of those every day. But, no matter how unusual Olaf may be, and no matter how irritatingly naive he can be at times, I still love him. After all, he may be the closest thing to a son I'll ever get.

Rapunzel and Eugene, the couple I had met during my coronation party, were crowned King and Queen of Corona last month. Of course, I attended the ceremony and gave my own personal congratulations. The celebration that followed was, in short, loud. And long. So, very long. Apparently, the people of Corona are always looking for occasions to celebrate. This particular party lasted for _weeks._ And guess who stayed in Corona the whole time? That's right, yours truly. Poor Anna had to rule the kingdom in my stead while I was gone.

During my stay, Eugene told me some rather interesting things about his wife. Apparently, she once had magic within her, too! I could barely believe my ears. Ignoring my stunned expression, Eugene went on to explain. A few years ago, Rapunzel had long, golden hair that had the power to heal people. Like me, she was born with this ability, though she always had full control over it. When she was 18, she and Eugene went of a life-changing journey that ultimately resulted in her hair getting cut. Her long, golden locks turned into a deep brown, and she was left with a head full of short, non-magical hair. She apparently appreciates not having powers anymore, as she now has the opportunity to live a "normal" life as the new Queen of Corona. I was disinclined to believe Eugene's story when Rapunzel came in and confirmed the whole thing. She told me about the journey the two of them took, and the countless people they encountered, from the evil Mother Gothel to the loyal chameleon Pascal. It's actually a very interesting story; I should probably get around to writing about it one time.

"Eugene and I were thrilled when we saw that you had magic!" Rapunzel said, before taking a wine glass out of Eugene's hand and setting it on the table. "Well, after the whole eternal winter thing came to pass, that is. That was one brutal storm you whipped up back there! Your magic is strong. Like, really strong. Poor Eugene ate nothing but chicken soup for the next few weeks!"

After some polite laughter and an awkward apology on my part, the three of us ended up talking throughout the rest of the night. As of now, Corona is Arendelle's closest ally, and it is still ruled by Rapunzel and Eugene.

Gerda and Kai, our two most faithful servants, also had some interesting things to say to me. Long ago, they also encountered someone with powers! It seemed like magic wasn't nearly as rare as I once thought it was. This mysterious woman, they said, looked a lot like me. Her eyes were as blue as ice, and her hair was as white as snow. Her pale skin was cold to the touch, and she was apparently a lot more powerful than I was, having control over the season of winter itself. She had kidnapped Kai long ago (for reasons she had never made clear), and it was up to Gerda to save him. She traveled throughout the land, searching desperately for her friend. Along the way, she was helped by a robber girl, a reindeer, and a prince and princess named Agdar and Idun - two royals who would later grow up to be my parents!

"It's a small world after all, wouldn't you agree?" Kai said warmly. "At first, Gerda and I were a little hesitant to tell you about the mysterious white lady. We thought it would make you feel insecure about your own powers, after hearing what that terrible woman did. But we see something in you that she never had: love. As long as you have it within yourself, you'll never become the monster that she was."

Speaking of my parents, Anna and I visited their graves a few weeks ago. As the sun was starting to set, the two of us went to the royal burial grounds and placed flowers on our parents' graves. Neither of us said a word. We simply stood together, staring silently at our parents' headstones. But I knew that I didn't have to say anything. I knew - and still know - that somewhere up there, my parents are smiling down on us, happy for their daughters and the way their lives turned out.

Three days ago marked the one-year anniversary of my ice palace's creation. I had actually been waiting for that day for several months; the last time I had seen my palace was during the battle with Hans' men. I hadn't seen it since. Naturally, then, I was eager to see how it had fared during the past year. Was it still standing? Or had it succumbed to the harsh winds and snowstorms of the North Mountain? There was only one way to find out.

Early that morning, I snuck out of the castle, leaving a note for Anna on my way out. I trekked up the North Mountain by myself, keeping my eyes glued to the summit of the mountain. As soon as I walked into a forest clearing, the sight became marvelously clear; in the distance, I saw the castle's tall, blue spires extending into the pink morning sky, still standing strong. I nearly ran the rest of the way, eager to explore the grand palace I had once called home. But as soon as I threw the doors open, I was greeted by none other than the snow golem, sitting on the shattered remains of my throne. As soon as he saw me, he lunged towards me, the ground shaking with every step he took. After my mini-heart attack, I turned around, about to make a run for it, when the golem scooped me up in his enormous arms and - to my surprise - hugged me tightly, producing a deep, rumbling sound that I could only guess was laughter.

"Elsa!" he cried out, laughing as he held me tighter. After letting out a sigh of relief, I looked up at him and hugged him back, my arms unable to fully wrap themselves around his colossal figure.

"It's good to see you too," I replied, my legs dangling in midair. Just then, I noticed something shiny on his head. Upon looking closer, I recognized it as my old crown, the one I had thrown away on the night of my ice palace's creation. I guess deep down, this big, scary monster is just a big softie. Today, the golem still lives in my palace. He rules his own imaginary kingdom, happy and free. He even has a proper name: Marshmallow. Yes, Olaf's nickname for the golem was apparently a popular one, because now that's what everyone is calling him.

Kristoff is doing nicely, too. After the Great Thaw, I figured that he would have to leave town soon, due to his ice harvesting business. So, to keep him around, I named him the Official Ice Master and Deliverer. I have to admit, I only did so as a joke, after I procured that sled for him. But Anna, being...well, Anna, took the job title so seriously that I had to make it real. Now, Kristoff lives in Arendelle with the rest of us. For a few weeks, he had trouble adjusting to life in a castle. But due to my repeated (and, I must admit, excessive) reminders to take a bath, stand straight, and not bring reindeers into the Great Hall, Kristoff slowly adjusted to the royal lifestyle. He actually does a pretty good job overseeing Arendelle's ice business. Thanks to him, ice has become the kingdom's number one export.

After the Great Thaw, Kristoff was told of the "one year" rule that I had put up. Of course, he wasn't too pleased to hear about it, but he was willing to comply. For the past year, he has been the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful boyfriend my sister could ever have. Who would have thought that a princess like her would end up falling for an ice harvester like him? I smiled whenever I saw them together. Yes, it was already fairly obvious that my sister would end up marrying him one day, but he was perfectly fine with waiting for the day he could finally propose to her.

That day came yesterday.

Early in the morning, Kristoff invited Anna to take a walk with him. Of course, she went with him, not suspecting a thing. As soon as they entered the village square, they were greeted by the most amazing sight: a group of ice harvesters was gathered by the fountain, and they all performed a little song and dance for my sister! Anna simply stared at the scene before her, awestruck and speechless, as the citizens of Arendelle gathered around, curious about the show taking place in the village square. Then, the entire crowd gasped as Kristoff got on one knee, took out a ring, and asked the one question he had been waiting to ask for so long.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle, will you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry-"

"Yes! Yes, of course!" Anna cried out, tears falling over her smiling cheeks. She pulled up Kristoff and kissed him as all of Arendelle cheered wildly. Of course, I was among the crowd, witnessing the spectacle. I clapped and wiped a few tears from my own eyes, happy to see my sister with the man she loved. And then I got to thinking: would I ever have what Anna and Kristoff have? I was already twenty-two years old, and I hadn't even considered the possibility of love. But seeing Anna and Kristoff, happily embracing each other, made me think about what I may have been missing out on. My answer was - and always will be - the same: when I'm ready, maybe I'll try. But for now, I'll simply sit back and wait for the right person to come along.

Anna has adjusted quickly to her new life. Despite the way she may act sometimes, I often have to remind myself that she is a fully grown woman, capable of making her own decisions. In just one year, she learned how to take on the duties of a princess! Lately, her days have been filled with paperwork, negotiations, and other tasks. It's a hectic job, but it all comes with being the queen's right hand. Occasionally, when she wasn't busy spending time with Kristoff, I would take her with me in my travels, just like I had promised her when we were kids. While I would be busy discussing political issues with princes and dukes, Anna would usually be outside, enjoying the sights and sounds of whatever nation we were visiting. We would usually end the day by exploring the village square, sampling as many foreign foods as our stomachs could possibly manage.

Sometimes, at night, Anna visits me in my room, unable to sleep. We'd usually stay up together, telling jokes, reading stories, and making up for thirteen years of separation. Often, she would even fall asleep under the covers, snoring loudly as a book rests lazily on her face. Whenever that happens, I would simply smile, laugh to myself, and tuck her in, like our mother used to, before snuggling in right next to her. In those moments, I would be reminded that, despite everything she has been through, my sister is still the little girl I had come to know and love all those years ago, and that nothing in the world would ever separate us again.

As for me, life couldn't be better! There really isn't much I can say about myself, other than the fact that I've been busier than ever. As Arendelle's queen, I'm constantly faced with new challenges every day. And that's not even mentioning the magical powers I'm trying to keep under control! Yes, even now, a year after the Great Thaw, my powers are still proving themselves to be quite tricky. But at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I like to sit by the fireplace and count my blessings, remembering how fortunate I truly am. With loyal friends, an entire kingdom looking up to me, and a sister who I love more than anything else in the world, I believe my life has taken a turn for the better. Yes, I have magical powers, and yes, I rule over an entire kingdom, but in the end, I'm just an ordinary woman, with thoughts and feelings like everyone else.

I am writing all this for a reason. I've decided to record this moment in time - this incident that changed my life forever - so that future generations, perhaps hundreds of years from now, can learn a valuable lesson: as long as you continue loving the people around you, as long as you hold on tightly to the part of you that makes you _you, _nothing in the world will ever be able to bring you down. Because ultimately, the only thing that matters in life is love. It's what makes it worth living. So if you're reading this, you hold in your hands the story of Elsa the Snow Queen. I hope it changes you as much as it changed me.

Ah, I better go. I think I hear Anna coming.


End file.
